A Nightmare Lived
by CrazyLittleKookoo
Summary: This is why Max is stronger than anyone. This was what they did to her, she was sent to the school after living at the Arena. This is what they did to her and how she fought back. This is a prequel to my story A Haunted Past read it! May be FAX later on.
1. Chapter 1

**This is the prequel to my first story and it would be a good idea to read that one as well as this. Hope you enjoy, and OMG I can't believe this time for my second story!!! I am CrazyLittleKookoo woopee, guess who's back, back, back again, again......;P CrazyLittleKookoo is back with a vengeance and I am better than ever wooo! Here we go, here we go, here we go!**

Chapter 1

This was my life, it had been my life since I first opened my eyes, since I first was able to feel anything. I lived in fear, a good healthy daily dose of fear was what I was raised on, I was too afraid to move a few scant feet when I was on my own like this, afraid that there would be more repercussions, more pain, more of those tests. I was afraid of living, because this was all there was in the world, and when I was alone it was the worse than ever.

I heard metal doors clanging and heavy rubber boots thumping rhythmically down the hall somewhere. The sound was getting closer, I cowered into the corner by the steel bunker, hoping the shadows would hide me and they would think someone had already taken me out. But they weren't easily fooled, like me they had extra senses, like me, they knew what would happen next.

The door clanged open and I tried to resist as harsh hands dragged me out of the caged room. I became desperate and started thrashing around, no, I didn't want this! Why wouldn't they stop? Why couldn't they leave us all alone? The hands that restrained me dug into my flesh like claws, I thrashed around and twisted trying to run, to where I had no idea, there was nowhere to run. My fluffy baby wings were pulled on and I cried out as I was dragged down the halls. I managed to bite the hand of whoever was holding me and they let me go, only for a moment though. I got hit in my stomach with the force or a train. I doubled over, trying not to sob as tears made tracks down my cheeks.

I stopped fighting, I knew I couldn't win. As I was dragged down the halls I saw some more Wing Beaters walking down the hall. They were marching Sky back to her cell. I peeked through my hair at her and was glad to see she was okay, they hadn't hurt her. I nearly smiled because she saw me too, I knew what she would do, she would rip me from their arms, comfort me, and protect me the most she could. All I wanted was to be held by her. But the stranger carrying me turned and I lost sight of Sky. I heard her yell and a fight break out, again I tried to break free, to get to her. Again I failed.

I was thrown onto a metal slab table and restraints were wrapped around my wrists and ankles. I began to shake as fear clouded everything. A man wearing army uniform under his white coat walked up to me carrying a tray that held a needle and numerous cutting instruments.

"Let's see what we can do with this experiment shall we?" he didn't speak to me, they never did. I was an EXPERIMENT, not worth a conversation, instead he spoke to the other scientists.

I flinched as the needle was pushed into my neck and the plunger depressed. I felt pain rip through my body and make it shake in reaction to whatever they had injected me with. In desperation I retreated into my mind. I ignored as much as I could. I tried to imagine the sun and trees that Sky had told me about. I didn't even know if it existed or not. I heard the scientists talking as they took their samples and started operating on my arm.

Inside I started to weep and cry out for my sister. Inside I broke. Inside I grew stronger because on the outside I could only be weak.

I was two years old and this was my life. I was two years old and I had never seen what was outside these walls that Sky said was not all there was. I was two years old and my brother Chase, sister Sky and I were stuck here at these brutal hands that acted like God. I was two years old and these people made the decision if I would live each day. I was two years old and my name was Maximum Ride.

**A/N Well how was that? This is the prequel to my first story so if you haven't read it, go read it! Please review, and I am trying to make this better than my first story. I've gotten an idea of what works and what doesn't now, so yay me! I will update with the second chapter as fast as I can, but don't expect any miracles. Tell me what you think. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N well here's the second chapter hope you all enjoy it as much as I did writing it. But hopefully it shouldn't take you as long to read it. LOL! By the way has anybody heard any news about the new Maximum Ride book coming out? I am dead curious and excited, and I am proud to say I am a Maximum Ride Fanatic wooo! :D**

Chapter 2

Kids for their third birthdays got cards, cake and presents. They woke up to the sounds of parents yelling surprise, they went through their day with people singing out of tune 'Happy Birthday'. I got a wakeup call by a kick in the face, I had a present of newly unwrapped needles that were waiting to be pressed into my skin. I had to listen to Wing Beaters sing cheery tunes as they delighted in my squeaks and squeals of pain, I had a whole new experiment set up and designed just for me, to cause me pain.

I hung ten feet from the floor, my arms were stretched high above my arms, and my fingers curled tightly around the metal pole that was the only thing stopping me from dropping onto the broken pieces of glass and nails and whatnots on the floor below me. The pole continued its slow rotation and my arms shook stiffly as I changed my grip and tried to hold on. There was an observation window to my right, and an LED clock on the wall facing me, counting the seconds I could last. No matter how long I held on I knew I would fall. They would leave me up here for as long as it took for my will to give. I couldn't hold on forever, I had already been like this for fifty six minutes.  
I changed my grip again but this time my arm felt too heavy to lift and coordinate, as I panted and tried to throw my hand above my head in a blind attempt to save myself from a painful fall, I could feel and was highly aware of the fingers on my other hand uncurling as the pole made another rhythmic rotation. It was too late.

Just as my flailing arm reached the pole my fingers that were holding me snapped their grip as the pole finished its rotations. I had a second to gasp and wish that they hadn't put me up so high. As I fell, my baby wings automatically flapped trying to save me, it was as useless as crying. My wings only caused me to flip in mid-fall so I could see floor and ceiling. There was a loud thud as I connected with the ground, accompanied with the sound of tinkling glass and metal, I didn't know which hurt more, the force of hitting the floor face first, the slice as glass and metal pierced my flesh, or the pain of crushed and snapped bones.

Either way I started to scream in pain, it was too much. I wanted nothing to do but die, right there, right then. I willed the blood to flow faster so I could drift off quicker. I wished for the crushing feeling in my chest to be the pain of my heartbeat slowing. They wouldn't care, it's why they did this to me. They wanted to push me to see how far it took for them to kill me. This was the finish line for me.

**No! Max just hold on sweetie. I'm here, and so's Chase. We won't leave you, I know it hurts it always does. But we will get out of here, soon I promise. Then you can see the sun and sky, you just have to last that bit longer. Don't let them win Max, we can beat them, but until then we have to play their game. Then they are going to sorely regret the day they laid a finger on us, 'cause we are going to repay them. If you believe or live for anything let it be for me and Chase. And for yourself.**

I cried. I was so close to simply falling into a final sleep, yet my sisters smooth voice kept me clinging, the thought of my protective brother and gentle sister kept me hoping. Hoping that there was something _else_ to life than this. There had to be.

I was numb to the cold hands that inspected my body, to the sharp instruments that were inserted into my flesh. I ignored the taunts of the monsters that were asking me if I wanted to die. I willed myself to live, to not give up. I tried to train myself to accept the pain of broken bones and open wounds. I tensed and made myself acknowledge the pain of needles. If I could feel pain, I was still alive, if I was still alive I would live another day, I would see my family.

After hours that felt like days I opened my eyes to a room that was all shiny and clean, and truly horrifying. It was the operating room. I didn't want to be operated on today, I had already been through too much. There was only one option I had, it was a choice of either one pain or another pain. It was either being operated on or I got a beating and was thrown back into my cell without any food for three days.

It could have been cowardice, fear, desperation or something entirely else, but I still did what I did. In a way it was the only way I could think of to defy them, just like my brother and sister.

I started thrashing around on the metal table they had placed me on. They never thought I would move so I had no restraints. I managed to crawl off the table and avoid the grappling hands after me. I crawled under the table, hobbling as my joints and bones ached, I had been stitched and bandaged and I even had an awkward brace on my left leg.

I made a break for the door, not sure really on how I planned to put my plan in action. So as they would say, I went with the flow. I knocked some guy over by barging into his legs, while he went down and some of the others tried to help him up a Wing Beater grabbed me by my hair and hoisted me up. I started twisting and flapped my wings in a futile attempt to get free. The Wing Beater was a new one and obvious unused to experiments like me rebelling. He stumbled back and one of my wings knocked his head, causing him to lose sight. He fell backwards and we crashed onto a tray holding operating equipment.

I heard a muffled shout and the arms around me went slack. I rolled off the Wing Beater as both of our bodies hit the floor with a thud. The scientists around us stood frozen looking at the Wing Beater who was no longer moving. Again I tried to run for it, I nearly made it to the door as the scientists were ignoring me and focusing on the limp body. But the door opened and one of the nastiest Wing Beaters ever came in. I turned to run and he caught me by the neck and casually carried me as though I was a bag.

"What's happened here?" His voice was harsh and sharp like a whip.  
"Coran is dead. That experiment your holding killed him, he has a scalpel stuck in his spine and he has a broken neck. That experiment is meant to be dead, and yet its rebelling." The scientists was looking at me as though I was a piece of road kill.

The Wing Beater holding me just laughed and walked out, still holding me by the back of my neck, with a comment about cleaning up the corpse.

I'd killed him? That Wing Beater? But I didn't mean to, it was an accident. But according to that scientist they were going to kill me, or something like that.

I started kicking out as I swung slightly in the Wing Beaters grip. He was still laughing and my defiance seemed to make him laugh more.

"So you killed Coran? I was hoping someone would do that snivelling idiot in finally." I paused in my kicking and looked at the Wing Beater with wary eyes, he had shifted me so he was now holding me so he was almost cradling me. Like Sky had when I was a baby. But unlike Sky's or even Chase's hugs this didn't feel safe and warm, it felt hostile and threatening.

"They're right you know? They all expected you to die, but your still here. The ones who survive are the ones like me. They always become Wing Beaters. You ever think about being one of the guys on the winning team, to be one of the ones with a life, with control and power?"

I looked at the Wing Beaters eyes and felt fear for what my future may hold apart from this painful hell I was already in.


	3. Chapter 3

**aA/N I apologise for the huge delay, my internet went down and I had to convince my parents to get a new one. And they now have, so yay me. I should be updating quicker now, so review and make me happy. XD **

Chapter 3

I hated them so much. I was fed up of being the weak one, always afraid, always crying, always paralysed by fear. But no more. I would be like my sister and live my life in the enjoyment of rebelling. Any and all repercussions would be welcome, because it would mean I was annoying them.

The Wing Beater, who had carried me back to my cell, had left with a cheery comment on how he would train me to be like him. To become a Wing Beater, that was if I didn't die of course. Which seemed very unlikely, and it was more unlikely that I would willingly join the ranks of one of the moronic monsters who guarded me.

Sky had been taken to a detainment cell, so I was with Chase. I was curled up on his lap while he played Incy Wincy Spider on my arm. He kept tickling me and making me giggle. After a time though his spider fingers made me sleepy, in a hypnotic way. I yawned.

"You tired Max?" He asked gently ad he wrapped the gray sheet around me, like a cocoon.

I nodded slightly and curled closer to him as he wrapped his arms around me and rocked me gently. He hummed a tune to me and it was the only lullaby I had ever known. I drifted in a gray cloud that was warm and comforting. That was, until, the metal clanging doors and rubber booted footsteps reached into my dreams and pulled me awake.

I woke up and felt Chase tighten his hold on me. Metal clanged as the doors were threw open, a blur as someone was thrown into our cell with us.

"You ungrateful sods, is that the thanks I get for making you work out every day? For breaking your noses and keeping the plastic surgery companies in business?" Sky yelled as they closed the door, one of the Wing Beaters actually growled at her.

Chase started laughing. "What did you do this time?"

Chase put me down on the bed and went to help Sky to her feet. I wrapped the scraggly blanket around me, the temperature had been turned down, and they did that sometimes. I had even seen some experiments die from hypothermia, it was a slow painful death.

But that's off topic. Chase helped Sky to her feet and she just walked up and kicked the door.

"Jerks! I'm going to break your nose again."

Chase just shook his head and came and sat down next to me on the metal bunker. "What did they do this time?"

"The usual, I kicked some of them in the balls cause what they did to Max, so they threw me in the Ring with a new bear hybrid. You okay Max?" Sky walked over to me and gave me a tight hug.

They put her in the Ring because of me. The Ring is where they put you if they want you to fight. And you can't refuse, you have to fight the experiment in there with you, cause if you don't you die, it's a fight to the death.

"I'm sorry." I whisper to Sky as she hugs me. I wrap my hand in her hair as she holds me close. Her hands run over my body, noting all of the new wounds and badly done stitches.

"There's nothing for you to be sorry about. It was my choice, and it was my choice to fight. Even if they think they take everything from us we have a choice still. To fight and do something, or nothing. It's still a choice WE make."

Chase sits with us and we all curl up together on the bunker, Chase wraps his arm around us and I try to share my blanket, but Sky just wraps it back around me.

"Banid reko jeheesh mokil?" Sky asks quietly. I translated in my head, When are we going?

"Garnul frenda." Chase replied with steel in his voice.

I tried again to translate the strange language they were always teaching me, but my mind was fuzzy, I was so tired. Maybe the experiments were wearing me down. Perhaps I would fall asleep and never wake up. I didn't really mind, death would happen if I wanted it to or not. It was an everyday occurrence here.

I snuggled closer to Chase's side and so did Sky, she was beginning to shiver. Chase lazily extended one of his dark brown wings and wrapped it around us. He never shivered and he always took care of us.

"Love you both." I mumbled barely awake.

Chase kissed my head and Sky tightened her arms around me, she was already asleep.

"We love you too." Chase said answering for both of them. Before I fell entirely asleep, my mind managed to figure out what Chase had said.

'Tomorrow morning.' At least that's what I thought he had said. I didn't care, I was partially safe for the time being. And we had all survived another day at the Arena, that was all I cared about.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N kay6 people next chapter so please review, and thank you to everyone who has been reviewing for my story so far, you make me smile and encourage me to keep writing. This is the chapter where things start going to hell in a hand basket. So hold on tight kiddies. XD **

Chapter 4

I woke up to the sound of shouting, I would normally ignore it and try t snuggle closer to Chase. But Chase wasn't with me, I opened y eyes and saw something that made my heart skip a beat. Chase was the one shouting.

Sky was on the floor in the corner of the cell rubbing her head. Chase was by the open cell door fighting hand to claw with a Wing Beater that looked more beast than man. There were three dead Wing Beaters dotted around the cell, and blood, so much blood. Were we scheduled for termination? Were the Wing Beaters here to execute us? Were the Arena finally giving us the freedom in death?

Movement caught my eye, just as Chase threw the Wing Beater to the floor and started to twist its neck, one of the bodies next to my bunker stirred. It moved stealthily, it glanced up at Chase and saw him taking out his comrade, then it glanced at Sky who was dizzily getting to her feet. It grinned evilly and was getting into position to launch itself at her.

"Sky! Look out!!" I yelled trying to warn my sister, after all, I was a kid, what could I do?

Sky looked up and dodged to the side anticipating the Wing Beaters movement. Instead it did something neither of us thought it would do. It pivoted on one foot so it was facing me. My eyes widened and I saw Chase look up from the dead body under him, and scramble towards me terrified as the Wing Beater landed on me.

"Max! NO!" I could hear Sky screaming for me, but she was still dizzy and had trouble getting to me. Chase was among the claws and teeth that were attacking me trying to get me free before I was killed.

I screamed, the claws raked up my sides and as I tried to twist away my wing got caught and the Wing Beater had a malicious grin on his face. His hand clenched around my wing and I could feel the pin like claws dig in, then he pulled his arm down sharply, ripping out stitches and opening one of my recent wounds that traced down my spine.

I cried even harder, my scream sounding as though it could shatter glass. I saw Sky running unsteadily towards us, I saw Chase's face set in a grim line as he finally managed to pull the Wing Beater off of me.

"You stay the hell away from my sister!!" He yelled as he bashed the things head into the wall, after he heard a satisfying crunch, did he let it go. He ran over to me where Sky was trying to wrap me up in my arms.

I couldn't move. Whether from fear, pain or something............else. I just couldn't move, not since that Wing Beater had ripped his claws along my spine, something in me had tinged and I just couldn't move. I could scream and cry but I was immobile. I was slightly curled in on myself, blood already beginning to pool around me, shaking uncontrollably.

"It's okay Max, I'm going to patch you up and then we're-" Sky was cut off by Chase.

"We can't we don't have time. They're going to start closing this place down any minute. We have to go. NOW."

Sky looked up and opened her mouth to protest, then she snapped her mouth shut and nodded grimly. I still couldn't move as Sky scooped me up and ran out of the cell following Chase. The corridor was clear, but the alarms were blaring and lights were flashing, Chase ahead of us ran into two Wing Beaters and a scientist. He launched himself into battle straight away, Sky noticed he was struggling against the Wing Beaters seeing as the white coat was already on the floor nursing a bruise on her head. Sky hid me in a corner of a pillar and ran to help Chase.

I started to feel movement in my fingers and twitched my toes. I fought against whatever was happening to me, we were leaving, I was going to be free, just like my siblings had promised. I flexed my arms and legs ignoring the burning pain in my wing and back. I managed to get to all fours and started to push myself up.

I looked up smiling, to see Chase and Sky ganging up on the last Wing Beater. We were winning.

The white coat was crawling away though, what was she doing? She pulled herself up the wall across from me, next to a panel in the wall. She scanned her hand and started to type in something. I had to think quick. I was sure that what she was doing would be bad for us.

Sky and Chase always told me never to use my powers, 'cause it could hurt me since I was still little. But I couldn't just do nothing. Ignoring all past warnings I focused on the white coat.

I imagined all the times I was made weak and vulnerable, when I had to see Sky or Chase hurt. How many times I had to watch kids, like me, kill themselves than go through one more day here. I used the anger for strength my body didn't have yet, but my mind did.

I did something, a type of push with my mind that was instinct. It caused the white coat the slam into the wall she was leaning on head first and pass out. She passed out just as the panel beeped and I took a step towards Chase and Sky, just as they turned to me after knocking out the wing Beater.

I heard a whoosh sound and something blurred right in front of me. I heard Sky screaming for me, Chase was shouting and banging against the air. No it wasn't air. As I took one more step towards them I came into contact with solid cold. A bullet proof barrier had slid between me and my family, I couldn't touch them, hear them, I was separated from them.

Sky and Chase slid down till they were looking in my eyes. My frantic eyes locked with them and I put my tiny hand against the barricade between us. Sky mirrored my action and put her hand next to mine, Chase put his hand over hers and I imagined that the cold glass under my palm wasn't there and we were really holding hands like we always did.

Chase tried to say something but the glass was too thick and with my super hearing I could only make out a deep mumbled tone. Tears sprang to my eyes and I tapped my hands against the glass, wanting my family. I was so scared.

Behind me I could hear growls and shouts, getting closer. They were in pursuit.

And I was trapped.

And alone.

I turned around and pressed my back against the glass, looking down the corridor to see what creature from hell they had sent to kill me.

**A/N Ooooh cliffe. I will update soon I promise, but you have to review for me and let me now, by the way Children In Need is here so if I'm let updating don't kill me cause I have tonnes of obligations and coursework to do. Thank you for being so understanding :D**

**Review review review!! And I'll write write write!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Kay people if you are squeamish and don't like sad and depressing things look away now! You've been warned. Enjoy it though.**

Chapter 5

I couldn't take my eyes off of the corner ahead of me. The sounds were getting closer, the pounding feet, the angry shouts, the vicious snarls and growls. I knew it, I was so dead. I was separated from the only people who could protect me. The sound of feet sliding in a rush to get closer made my heartbeat quicken even more. If that were even possible.

I turned to look one last time at my brother and sister. Hoping that somehow they had managed to find away to save me. But to my horror I had turned around in time to see Chase talking to Sky as he pulled her gently away to a nearby door. She threw one last smile at me and shouted something I couldn't hear, before her face was lost to me along with Chase's sad smile. They both walked out of my life, left me here. I was alone

No one was going to save me. They had left me. Frantically I tried pushing against the glass, silent tears tracking down my face. Suddenly my revolution to fight back seemed pointless, everything seemed pointless. My family had left me for dead, or worse. I sunk down to the floor, pressing my back into the see-through panel that had condemned me.

I guess I should be happy that they were free, there really was nothing that they could do for me. If they had stayed they would have probably been caught if they had tried to save me. It was best that they got away and only one of us were caught. Right? But still I felt as though a part of me had been shattered and then frozen so I wouldn't feel the pain. I was, numb to the world.

So it was with empty eyes that I looked up at the sound of skittering claws. The beast came around the corner, and like a hound sniffed the air before looking straight at me. It was an experiment cross between a wolf and panther, the hunting and obedience of a type of dog, and the flexibility and wildness of a type of cat. Only two out of every six experiments survived and became successful hounds.

The beast charged at me and ignored the Wing Beaters behind it that yelled to stop.

"It's just the kid, stay, don't attack! Don't kill!" One of the five Wing Beaters yelled.

The thing ran at me and got closer, and closer. I should have been afraid, but I just didn't care. Perhaps this creature should have a taste of what it did to other experiments. The beast lunged, fangs snapping, saliva dripping, claws extended.

I closed my eyes and imagined what i had seen many times. This beasts end result, the ripped remains of helpless children like me. The half chewed innards and organs, the blood splattered everywhere and still pooling around what was once a whole body, but now only mushed up blood and gore. Then I focused on the beast, still with my eyes closed I knew it was a few scant centimetres from me, I could feel it. Then I let the image become reality as I thought of the beast.

I heard a yelp and a dreadful ripping noise, the sound of splashing and numerous things dropping to the floor. The Wing Beaters had stopped everything, some murmured curses, one I heard vomiting. I heard their footsteps back off.

I opened my eyes, and became terrified of myself. The image I had imagined had become reality. The blood and gore I had seen so many times, was once again before me, only this time the beasts fur was mixed among the remains. The walls were painted with blood. I began to shake as I looked down at myself, I was painted with blood. I had blood on my hands. I had done something so terrible. I had created a death that they put others like me through. I was like THEM!

I started trembling uncontrollably and wrapped my arms around myself for comfort. My eyes were wide as I stared at the Wing Beaters across the hall from me. I quickly created a wall in my mind, this new power of mine, needed to be locked away. If this was the type of stuff it made me do, then I didn't want it. I scrunched up my eyes as i pushed the strength in me deeper, until it was nearly nonexistent, then I ignored it, as if I had never had the power to kill like a beast.

"Damn, she is some kind of freak. Send in the other Hound, see what she does to that one." One of the Wing Beaters said.

This time when they sent the beast in for me, I couldn't find the strength in me to imagine a gruesome death. And for that I was glad, I didn't want to be a monster like them. This time when I could feel its fetid breath getting closer, it got even closer. This time it sank its teeth into my skin, and wreaked havoc with its claws. This time, I screamed in unimaginable pain. My arm was bloodied and torn, my legs were tattooed with deep gashes and claw marks. Then it started the chew on my baby wings, that was when the Wing Beaters pulled it off me and they started top drag me back to the heart of the Arena.

Alone. I was alone, but at least I wouldn't become like them. I would die by one of their Hounds before I ever did that again. I closed my eyes and cried through the pain, whimpers escaping my throat now and then.

I was now painted in a Hounds blood and my own, and this time I had no one to comfort me or tell me stories.

I thought, as they threw me back into my bloody cell minus the bodies, that at least Sky and Chase could live, after all they were stronger and braver than me. They deserved a life away from here. After what I had done I deserved nothing less.

They dumped me in the cell and locked the door. I didn't bother to move, to even try and look at my mauled body. I just let myself cry, from the pain, the loss, the monster I had become.

I was so afraid, but I could do nothing but wait to see what my punishment would be. They would have seen what I had done on the security cameras, I was more than certain that they would try new experiments and tests in attempts to improve me.

**A/N Awww poor Maxie. So what do ya think? Review please people. I know its not great and I couldn't done better. But please review so I know ya'll reading it. =D x**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N Again I apologise for the long delay and I am trying to update as soon as possible and hopefully have more chapters up this weekend. Enjoy. XD**

Chapter 6

Fear was a constant in my life, but I always had Chase and Sky to help me through it. Now it had consumed me, it was like a poison it had eaten me away inside, so now I felt numb to the world. The experiments were worse than ever. The scientists were fascinated, they wanted to provoke me to do what I did to the Hound again. But I kept that wall strong. I would never use what they call telekinesis ever again.

The Wing Beater, Lash, who had taken a sadistic liking to me, visited me every day. It has apparently been four weeks since Chase and Sky left. They hadn't even tried to come and get me back. I was divided between three emotions, anger that they hadn't come back, happiness that they were free, and the numbness of accepting that I was a monster.

I curled up inside my cell and glared as another scientist walked in with three needles and a Wing Beater.

The Wing Beater pulled my arm towards the scientist and I glanced away as the first needle was put in. They drew my blood, then the next needle was put in and they injected something into me. What ever it was I could feel burning through my veins, my fingers began the twitch and my breathing spread up. This HURT!!!

As the Wing Beater restrained my twitching body the scientist took another blood sample. A before and after sample of what the heck they had put in me. I closed my eyes as I felt the chemicals worm into my mind. They were trying to manipulate me, so they could use me like a puppet on a string.

I wouldn't let them. Even if I was a monster, I wouldn't be their monster. I fought back against that subtle nudge on my mind. I became unaware of my body, what it was doing, what they were doing I didn't know. I focused entirely on keeping my mind as mine.

The mental strain was more of a struggle than anything physical I had ever felt before. But I still wouldn't give in, not yet at least. But could I control the new power moderately? So that I wouldn't kill them but I could protect myself ad hurt them in the process? That was a thought that brought some emotion back to my cold world.

My body stopped trembling and I became aware of the surroundings. I was in the Ring. And there were five slumbering experiments across the room from me. Three Hounds, a tiger experiment and what looked like another birdkid, only he had sharp teeth, curved slaws, soul less eyes, and leather wings.

I gasped at them they looked beaten. But that was a mistake, they focused on me the minute the sound escaped through my lips. They all practically growled and hissed me, they were beaten ut they were also starved. And I bet I looked like a nice tasty snack to them.

Okay now was the time to use my power. But as I thought of before I would use it less than the first time. I would try not to kill them or myself in the process. Hopefully I could get out of this and find Chase and Sky.

If they still wanted me after what I'd done. But I'd think of that after, right now though, teh experiments were circling me. They were stalking and I was being hunted. But I wouldn't be prey anymore. I had been the scientists prey all my life, I would change that now, even if it killed.

After all, what was death, if but a release from this hell on earth?

**A/N short I know but I am working on the next chapter and it will be longer. That I promise. **

**XxReviewxX **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N kay people I rushed to get this up and it took up a lot of my time so I would really love some reviews. Also I need some help, I cant think of a name for a new character I'm bringin in he's gonna be a type of Fang/Iggy character that helps Max so any suggestions?**

Chapter 7

I focused as hard as I could I had managed to somehow cause the metal panels in the floor to rip up. I concentrated and imagined the metal strips were as flexible as my hand, as the experiments got closer I dragged my eyes from the metal panels to just above them, the metal followed. I slapped my hands down and clenched my fists. With a clang the metal slanted across the experiments bodies and curved, forming a cage and preventing them to move

I could hear a camera zooming in and swivelling in my direction. The experiments snarled and thrashed around in the constrictions. I was safe, for now.

The air locked door across from me swung open with a hiss, causing me to jump. Lash walked in with an evil grin on his face. I knew straight away that I was in trouble. And true to my prediction, I was.

Turned out these were the top experiments around, used to terminate subjects and feed them at the same time. I had just immobilized them, and the head honchos weren't happy about that.

They had, had enough of me already. I wasn't cooperating and I was a pain cause I just wouldn't do anything, I was scheduled for termination, I should never have been allowed to live this long anyway. I wasn't even meant to survive to be one, my programming didn't go that far. That was what the white coat who came in yelled at me. I was a mistake, an abomination, worthless. They were creating another to replace me, one who obeyed and they thought they had done enough experiments to make them like me, but commandable.

I didn't like that white coat. I felt, for the first time in my life, anger so hot I screamed and lashed out in blind fury. Lash held me back and cinched his arms around my waist locking my wings and arms in place.

As if I didn't know I was a mistake, something not wanted. I had gone through my life knowing that i was WRONG, not meant to even breath, think or live. That I was worthless which was why nobody cared enough to take me out of here or keep me out. It was why I was all alone. Because Sky and Chase were gone after they realised what I was worth. Nothing.

I was taken into a room that had computers and cages stacked up on each other. There was a man in military clothes there. I didn't like him either.

Lash tossed me to the floor. I scrambled back up and found myself back to back with a wall.

"Well, you've been a pain haven't you? A bit of a shame to throw something away that has your special abilities but if we made you I'm sure we can make another more cooperative creature."

"We're not creatures, we're living beings. With thoughts and feelings, probably more feeling than any of you though." I snapped rebelliously.

"You have a mouth on you don't you?" I said glaring.

"I also have wings if you didn't notice." He didn't like that. He glared and snapped his fingers. Two Wing Beaters took five steps towards me. In an age old fear I pressed back into the wall, forgetting momentarily that I had a new power.

Someone dashed to my side and threw a black bag over my head, confusing me before darkness consumed me making me scream. The wall at my back and gave way, they split down the middle and two sliding doors open, to which I fell into.

When I landed I pulled the bag off just in time to see the wall/door close with glass instead of concrete. Metal gears grinded and I felt the floor shift. Then I realised the roof was moving down and the floor up, the space I was in getting smaller and smaller. They were going to crush me.

I tried to fight my way out, but my mind was so panicked as claustrophobia kicked in that I couldn't focus enough to use my powers. The floor and ceiling stopped when I was lying on my stomach with one hand each on the ceiling and the floor.

I was in an awkward position. But I saw the man in military clothing smirk and wave right before the concrete wall slid back into place, I was trapped in darkness and all abilities I had that allowed me to move things with my mind went into a closed space in my mind. Fear took over, pure ungrounded terror.

I did what any kid does when in the dark and scared. I cried and called out for Chase and Sky. They never came. The tests got more violent. They didn't even bother to stitch me back up, or if they did they didn't bother to do a good job. I was apparently going to die soon, so why waste supplies on me?

Three days I cowered in the dark, wincing as lacerations leaked blood onto my cramped and limited space. Three days until I heard banging and shouting outside my dark tomb walls. I didn't even react. It was probably an experiment misbehaving, or dying.

When the sliding concrete doors slid open I winced at the bright light that shone in. I could hear mumble curses and hands reached for me.  
What shocked me though wasn't the curses, bit the gentleness the hands lifted me with. Not claws and brute force. But tender love and care.

I was cradled in arms and held close to a warm chest. Someone stroked my hair out of my face. I blinked open an eye and saw the face that belonged to someone that I never thought I would see again.

Chase. He had come back. Then I heard more banging, more shouting and booms. Chase started running, there were people with us. But the combined force of no food, little rest and testing and bad operations took its toll. I quickly fell unconscious just as I heard the whistling of wind in my hair and a light so bright it hurt my eyes when they were closed and warmed my skin.

I smiled as I fell unconscious. _I __**w**__as out. I was free._

**A/N Well what you think? Also I still need suggestions for a name. What do you think about Ace? Yes no or something else? I'm updating soon as my life is settling down for xmas. So happy Christmas everybody!! x**


	8. Chapter 8

A/N Kay people I will be updating quicker now that I got my own laptop and I have set it all up also hope you all had a great xmas and lets aim for abetter year wow, I sound prophetic whoopee!! I'm so hyped up yay XD

**Chapter 8**

**Chase's POV**

**Max my littlest sister. The one who it seemed I could never protect. Sky could fend for herself and at least I could partially protect her. But Max was so young. Just a baby and she had endured enough to last a thousand lifetimes as it was. And we had left her. We had to get out, we didn't have time to go back, at least now we had backup and we could get Max out the safe way. I kept repeating that top myself the entire time I had to think of her in the Arena, alone. Lord only knew what was happening to her. **

**My fears were true when I went to get her, after leaving the Arena Sky and I had found the other rogue experiments. If the Arena ever found out how many of us had actually escaped they would be shocked, nearly sixty of us all lived in the mountains a hundred miles north of the Arena. We were unknown here, we pirated electricity from nearby landlines and had a spring and waterfalls inside the caves that acted as our showers and baths, the leader, Anthony, had even managed to steal money and had bought furniture and supplies, well if he couldn't steal them that is. Compared to metal cage we had lived in all our lives, the caves were heaven. **

**But now with Max in my arms I was ashamed that it had taken me so long to return to get her. I had convinced Anthony to help me get her, and he had got some volunteers to help us. Then we had to come up with a plan, and resources, and backups, and more plans, then we finally got here. It took so much time that I was as tamping as Sky by the time Anthony gave the all clear. But we respected him and true to his word we had gotten in and out without any problems, and now I had Max in my arms. She was bleeding and had passed out a few minutes after we ran out of that place. **

**I glanced down at my baby sister and hugged her closer, she seemed so peaceful in her sleep. But I couldn't fool myself, she was in a bad shape. She had fresh lacerations and open wounds, and her wings looked absolutely ruined. Would she be able to fly?**

**I would show her a world outside of the Arena. Once I got her back to Sky that is. Sky was going to hit me the minute she saw what condition Max was in. She wouldn't do it out of spite she would just do it because we had both failed in protecting Max, mostly I had failed but I would try to not make the same mistake twice. **

**If I did anything in my useless existence, I should at least protect my two sisters. I was the oldest, I was their brother. I like to think it was why I was created first so that I could protect them, and hold them when they cried. I did that for Sky when she was a baby and I was a few years older. I would hold Max when she fell down as well. **

**I beat my wings strongly and followed Anthony and the other five bird experiments. Flying………..home. I would take Max home now. We would leave everything behind us now and just live at home. **

**Glancing down at Max I tried to examine every part of her with my eyes. But there was probably so much damage than what I could see. Beyond the surface.**

"**How is she?" Anthony asked his big strong black wings beating and his longish hair blowing behind him. He seemed in his twenties but at times he acted so much older. He knew things about the Arena I never knew, it was why I had asked for his help.**

"**I don't know she seems pretty banged up. I just……….. What the hell did they do to her? She's just a kid, practically a baby."**

**My voice was soft and the wind probably didn't help but they all heard me. Thanks to our nifty enhanced hearing. Thank you mad scientists…. NOT!**

**Anthony flew up next to me and took Max out of my arms. I had to restrain myself from snatching her out of his grasp and biting his head off. But he didn't go anywhere just flew quietly by me and cradled Max gently.**

**He checked her over and a faint smile lit up his face. "She'll be fine. Pretties damn baby I've ever seen for sure. And I know she's just a kid but don't forget she's also your sister. She'll make it, even if its just to piss of the white coats. I can predict the future and this kid is gonna bring them hell, and they wont be ready for it."**

"**You cant predict the future. And I don't want her to ever have to go back and fight them. Just to live happily, we can stay in the caves."**

**Anthony smiled as he wrapped his jumper around Max, cocooning her and keeping her warm from the lashing wind. "Not all of us live simple lives. She has a fire in her eyes, and I don't need to see the future to know she's a warrior. Some of us have it ingrained in our DNA more than others, that we will fight for revenge, for what we claim is right or simply for the primitive power of it. Those who want the primitive power normally end up as Wing Beaters, but this kiddo is a fighter for all the right reasons. You've raised her the best you could in that place, now that's mapped out her whole life. Be proud."**

**And after that very long and awkward speech Anthony handed Max back to me.**

**Anthony didn't say anything else just flew to the lead of the flock and lead the way back to the caves. He doesn't normally make speeches like that, but was it true? Did we raise Max the best we could? Would she live to be as normal as we could? Or would she want revenge and nothing else or just fight for the right reasons?**

**I didn't want her to **_**have **_**to be a fighter. But some things I probably wont be able to stop. Fate had it in fore us probably. Ah well I'd kick it in the ass and then deal with the consequences. If Max was going to be a fighter, then I will prepare her. Teach her how to live without fear. Because if you lose your fear you can do anything, and if your enemies no longer hold fear over you, then you win. Well that's what I've been telling myself for the past couple years so it'd better be true.**

**With a spark of hope in my heart and my sister back safely in my arms I flew home to where my other sister waited for us both to return.**

**And true to my prediction she ran up to me and hit me, then pulled me into a hug and cradled Max whilst crying and smiling. We were back together again. And I caught some of the others who lived with us throw smiles our way and cheer when they saw how happy we were. Cause in all truth we hadn't been very nice since we'd left Max. But know or moods had definitely changed.**

**A/N kay I know this is short but it was just a quick insight of Chase's thinking. I am working on the next two chapters as we speak so hopefully you wont have to wait too long. And as always I love reading your reviews *hint hint* XD Oh yeah HAPPY NEW YEAR!!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N as promised I give you two chapters and this is where it gets interesting and slightly sad. But Ii hope you enjoy it and I would love some more reviews. My New Years resolution is to finish this as quick as possible so I can work on my other ideas. I was thinking of doing a crossover with Twilight for a story what do you think?**

Chapter 9

I didn't want to wake up. I was still holding on to my last dream. I dreamt that Chase had come and got me, and the best part, I had felt the wind on my face, I was free. I didn't want to open my eyes to the blackness, but I knew it was inevitable. My childish mind wanted to peek around me just to check and see that maybe it hadn't all been a dream.

I opened my eyes slightly and glared in disappointment, then snapped my lids closed and tried to dream of Chase again and freedom. But then my brain snapped out of its normal routine and processed what I had actually seen. My mind spinning with anticipated hope, I sat stiffly up and looked around me again. Only this time seeking out every detail of my surroundings visually.

I was on a wooden bed with a MATTRESS. Not cold concrete or metal, actually fabric. It was really comfy. For those of you have lived with a bed and blankets and mattresses and pillows, by god you must live like kings and queens. As I quickly realised I was in a type of cave with chairs scattered around the room and a small table in the corner, there were even lights.

Wait, lights in a cave? I must be dreaming. But no matter how many times I blinked the studio lights stuck into the rock ceiling just did not vanish. And I didn't wake up either.

A childish impulse suddenly took hold of me and I forgot about the lights and rocked backwards on the bed. The springs made me bounce a bit, then I pushed up on my arms and dropped down and bounced on the springs. My quiet giggling dried up as my arms began to burn. Dumbly I looked down at them and saw they were bandaged from my upper arm to my wrist, even some of my fingers were individually bound. It felt strange, I had never been cleaned up like this before, normally a shabby set of stitches were used to hold together a huge laceration or strip of cloth used to stop a flow of blood that was like a waterfall.

Wherever I was, I wasn't at the Arena. Someone had actually taken care of me. A slight smile curled my lips. Chase had come and got me, so he was here somewhere. And so was Sky. I was about to jump off the bed and poke my head out of the drape that acted as a door to the cave fluttered open.

I quickly twisted around and curled up on my side and pretended I was asleep, I was good at pretending very rarely if they thought I was asleep they'd leave me be for a bit longer. It was worth the chance.

And for once in my life this childish little tactic worked, whoever had walked in, did not realise I was awake. I heard heavy footsteps and a lighter set of footfalls, two people one male and the other possibly female. But what did they want.

"Hey is she awake. How do we know if she's awake when we have to check on her?" A soft female voice asked. I was still tense under the covers. Were these people from the Arena.

"I don't know do I, perhaps if we just poke her. If she fidgets we know she's nearly awake, and if not then she's still out for the count."

That way the males voice, then I heard those heavier footsteps getting closer. His voice sounded deep and harsh like the Wing Beaters. I didn't want him to touch me. It was taking all of my willpower for me not to shake and reveal that I was awake. Put I could feel a hot hand slightly running up my arm. Then I felt a meaty finger push down on my bandages. The bandage rubbed against my sore skin and stung like a bee sting. I squeaked in pain and jumped up trying to defend myself. Arms raised and fists clenched.

"Jacco what did you do?" The woman by the door started to charge in with an angry look on her face.

"Nothing Rachel, I did nothing 'cept poke the kid. Hey its alright just stay still for a mo-"

Jacco didn't get to finish his sentence, because while he had been reaching out to me and trying to soothe me with his voice, in a similar way the white coats did, I lashed out.

My fist connected with his nose solidly and I heard a faint crack. He shot up from his crouch on my bed and his hand flew to his nose just in time to catch the falling red drops of blood.

I prepared myself for Rachel to pounce on me, but to my complete and utter shock and surprise she keeled over laughing, leaning slightly against the cave wall. "Oh my frickin God! You just got socked by a kid barely four. Oh my I'm never going to let you live this down. I like the kid all ready."Yeah well I didn't like her. She was talking about me as though I weren't even there, like I was an object, she was talking like the white coats did about me.

She smiled at me in what would have been a warm smile, but my panicked mind saw it as a taunting grin. I pushed myself up out of bed and went to dash out the door and try to find my way out of this maze of a cave. But the drape of a door fluttered and a tall dark shadow walked in. Fearing the worst I braced myself. And I felt my mind uncoil like a snake, trying to find something it could use with my new telekinesis to protect myself. I couldn't control it my mind seemed to wrap around the rock of the cave itself and slowly squeeze inwards on itself. A sharp pain shot through my temples and seemed to rebound in my skull making me dizzy and faint. But the pain, the pain was so immense, the closest I could think of was that my mind felt scarred, as though lesions patterned my brain and I was straining myself and making them worse by trying to use my telekinesis. I felt as though I wanted to die, as dust and gravel trickled down and the cave began to groan with the grinding of rocks, I almost wished to be buried under the rubble. Anything to stop this pain in my skull.

But then the light lit up the face of the person approaching and a quiet sob ripped itself out of my throat. "MAX!"

Warm arms wrapped me up in a hug, careful to not jar my bandages and cause me pain. I hid my face into Sky's long brown hair with faint streaks of blonde. I couldn't compare it to anything because I hadn't seen much that I _could_ compare it to.

I felt Sky's presence enter my mind. Somehow, someway she seemed to unclasp my mental hold on the rock around me and relax my mind so that the cave stood still and strong once more. But the pain was still there and there's were running out of my eyes though I made no sound.

"It's okay. It's okay. You're safe now. I've got you. It's okay." She kept repeating those words like they were a prayer, or mantra.

She was rocking me back and forth on her lap when the drape moved again. I flinched again and tried to reach out with my mind, instinctively like a rabbit trying to run and the slightest sound. Chase walked in to see the scene of me crying with no expression or sound. With Sky rocking me and repeating herself non stop. He glanced at Rachel who was standing next to Jacco by the end of my bed, helping Jacco staunch the drip of his bloody nose.

"Leave." Chase's voice held threat and authority all in that one word. But They left without hesitation.

The minutes the drape stilled over the hole to my cave, Chase walked ove to join me and Sky. He held us both and said nothing. His strength didn't need words. We held each other like there was no tomorrow, and maybe there wasn't.

But they waited until the tears stopped to move me back under the blankets then they curled up either side of me and rested their heads on my pillow, their arms felt like a protective barrier around me thaht no one could breach. Slowly but inevitably the pain ebbed away. I snuggled deeper into their arms and pulled the covers tighter around me.

I felt exhausted for no apparent reason, and a dim part of me recalled that I had only just woke up, yet I was already sleepy again. My eyes fluttered shut and Sky's slow deep breath against the back of my neck was comforting and familiar. As well as Chase's fingers that were twisting strands of my hair around his hand idly.

Before sleep and the fear that practically lived with me always, I managed to mumble the words I had wanted to say since they had left me. "I love you both. Please don't leave again. It was scary."

Chase's fingers stopped and Sky breath halted for a bit. Sky kissed the top of my head and Chase held me a little tighter to his chest nuzzled the top of my head. "We wont ever leave you again. I'll kep us safe now, there's no reason to be afraid." Chase's deep voice was gruff with tears he was holding back.

"And we love you too, always and forever, and even beyond that. No matter. Now go to sleep." That was Sky's voice having the final word comforting Chase and herself as well as me with truth she spoke with.

Happy that I was safe for now with my family around me I fell asleep knowing they would protect even if I couldn't return the favour yet.

**A/N Okie dokie people the next chapter will be up by tomorrow hopefully just have to tweak a few things. As always R&R for me. And I will also start picking up the update on my other story Never Forget. If you haven't read it yet go ahead and read it. Its got badass Max all the way through =D XD Also longest chapter yet so WOOO!!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N This chapter is in dedication to all the snow I've been getting recently and to all of my loyal fans. Hope you enjoy it and if I don't update in a while its because I'm working on my other story Never Forget.**

Chapter 10

I had been here for two weeks now. I was still nervous and cautious around these other people. They were experiments like me and Chase and Sky, yet I knew they could betray us even if we shared something as profound as the hatred for White Coats. Many experiments betrayed each other, for some of them it didn't even seem wrong, it was, it just was really, as normal for a person to wake up and sleep.

It was also the reason I only spoke to Chase, Sky and Anthony, I barely communicated with the others I hadn't even said sorry to Jacco, because I wasn't, if I'd do it again knowing what I do now.

There were quite a few experiments living here, I was actually surprised that they hadn't been caught, not even busted by the Wing Beaters. Did the Arena even know hat they had escaped and how had they managed to pull it off? It was shocking to see, experiments similar to me living a semi normal life, some even had families here, as much as normal as you can get from living in a cave.

Still I was happy-ish. I was with my brother and sister, I had a BED, I went to sleep at night without any screams echoing down the hallways, there were no more experiments and slowly but gradually I was becoming like a normal kid. I had started to play with Chase and Sky, I was even asking childish questions to Anthony that would be obvious to any normal person.

Most of my wounds had healed but my arms were still bandaged and my back had a pattern of bruises around my wings and around to my chest. My wings were better, they had been left alone and had healed wonderfully, I could flap them and turn them, but I couldn't fly with them yet. I would fly soon though, I would play in the sky and get lost in the clouds. It was the only thing I yearned to do. To be truly free and able to fly wherever I want.

Sky was running ahead of me and twirling in circles. Apparently today was the day, they were taking me outside of the cave to see the world. I hadn't gone anywhere out of the cave ever since I got here. I was just to afraid to take a step out of this safe haven and do something to ruin everything and end up back at the Arena. Which explains why I was currently clinging to Chase's hand like there was no tomorrow.

"Come on Maxie, there's nothing to worry about. Promise." Chase said as he practically swung me as I clutched his forearm. He had kept saying those words ever since he'd pulled me out of the cave were me and Sky were playing, Sky was teaching me to draw. It was fun even though all I did was make a mess.

"Come on, you're nearly there. Its going to be great, hurry up." Sky sang as she ran through the twisting tunnels causing us to lose sight of her.

I yawned getting tired and wanting to go back to my nice, comfy, blanket covered, warm BED. I still couldn't get over the fact that I had one. Chase saw me yawn as we started jogging to catch up to Sky, then scooped me up in his arms and ran flat out to catch up to her, it was a bumpy ride and I started slapping his jumper sleeves as if they were reins.

"Giddy up donkey!" I cried out as he turned a sharp bend.

"Hey, I aint no donkey squirt!" He laughed as we kept running through the twisting bends and snaking rock.

Slowly the spaced out lighting grew les and less, then gradually to nothing, I grew afraid of the dark and clung tighter to Chase burying my head in his neck. Till he took my head in his hand and turned it to face ahead of us. Sky stood by his side and dimly I noticed he'd stopped moving. The cave had gone from black to a tarnished red. The only thing I could think of to compare it to was blood, I had seen enough of it at the school and that was what this was reminding me of.

"Don't look away. Trust us, it's beautiful Max." Sky rubbed my back encouragingly as I peeked through my hair at the reddish light. They walked forward together and the red got brighter, it slowly turned and mixed with lighter colours to an orange, then yellow then gold, and then I could see the end of the tunnel. I leaned forward in Chase's arms just as the wind blew in, making a chill chase up my spine, I shivered and cuddled back up to Chase.

Both him and Sky laughed.

No matter how cold I was, nothing could have made me turn my face away from what I saw when we finally took the last step out of the caves shadow and into open fresh air. My eyes felt like they were ready to bug out of my head. I had never seen anything so fascinating, hypnotising, beautiful. No wonder it was why they called it freedom, because I could see it and I still wanted more of it. The wind blowing across me felt like welcoming hugs and even lifted my wings up a bit.

I hopped out f Chase's arms and walked in a daze to the edge of the ledge of the rocky mountain we were on. The ledge opened op near its peak and I could see everything for miles. There was a huge forest patterned with ancient trees, a few fallen and a lake stretching all the way trough it. I could see foxes running, wolves hunting, otter's floating, birds dancing and the leaves trembling, with my raptor vision every detail was identifiable. But as I dragged myself away from the scenery I looked to see the sky and thing that had caused what I though was the illusion of blood. A giant red orb was slowly sinking below the tree line. Making everything near it blaze and blurry, almost as though it were on fire, but not the horrible destructive burning of a wild fire, just the gentle warmness you cold nearly see of a camp fire you light to warm you through the night. Sky was right, it was beautiful. I could see why everyone fight so hard to get out. To taste this freedom again. I knew I wouldn't give it up that easy.

The sky above the orb was darkening and turned to blues nearly black. It looked as though someone had put tiny lights in the sky, some in patterns, some glowing brighter than others and some there just to fill the space. There was a bigger light higher up in the sky, it shone silvery and had an outer rim that my raptor vision nearly made look 3D.

I turned quickly to Sky and Chase and pointed at the red orb. "What is that?"

"That's the sun. Remember when I told you about it? It's setting now, going to the other side of the world to give the other people a chance to live in the light."

"Does that mean we're going to live in the dark now?" I asked as I turned to get a final glimpse of the sun, not knowing when it would come back."No, it doesn't. You see those twinkling lights up there? Those are stars. And t biggest one out of all of them, that's the moon. They're like the suns best friends and when the sun goes, they come out and shine in the dark for us. So there's really no reason to fear the dark even if we cant see the stars or the moon or the sun, they're all there. Looking at us." Chase said as he came up to where I was stood there for a short while till the sun reached the edge and I could only see a glimmer of shine, I raised my hand to the sun and waved goodbye. Hoping I would see it again before the Arena found us.

When the sun finally disappeared from sight leaving only a faint shine that allowed me to see the scenery it its darkest shades of colour, I looked back up to the sky to where the moon had been. Only to find it moved higher up and there huge fluffy grey clouds crowding in. They looked so fluffy that I thought I could just reach up and grab one, I even tried.

"Chase, look at those clouds. Don't they look odd?" I looked at Sky. Odd? Why odd, was there something wrong with them and I shouldn't be trying to reach up to them?

"Yeah they do. It's cause they're snow clouds. They're always greyer and more full than ordinary clouds. I remember I flew one and came out soking wet and nearly frozen, literally"A small part of me inside envied the fact that Chase had flew through those clouds. I wanted to fly through them myself and see what they were like.

"What's snow?" I asked rolling the new unfamiliar word around on my tongue. I'd never heard of anything like that coming from a cloud.

My raptor vision caught tiny white fluff falling from the sky, each tiny individual piece of fluff being buffeted by the wind to seem to become one solid mass. A couple of fluffs fell onto my arm, they were cold to touch and slowly melted on my skin. It felt soft was so tiny and fragile as it fell."That's snow Max." Chase said as he took his jumper off to wrap around me. I was too busy watching this snow dance in the wind to notice him and Sky telling me all about it. The snow danced the way Sky and Chase did when they flew.

Soon, I promised myself I would dance like that in the sky. I would teach myself to fly so I could follow the sun and try to reach the moon and stars.

**A/N Well that took me awhile but I hope you all enjoy it. Max's first glimpse at the world outside four walls. Hope I described it well. Also to let you know, I wont be updating this story for awhile because I'll be working on my other story, Never Forget. So review for me and let me know what you think. Am I making mistakes and is their ways I can improve it. And I love your reviews even if it comments, critique or whatnots, they're like tiny pressies that make me think yay people are reading this!! So thank you all Xd**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N okay people this is my first update in a while and instead of focusing on one story at a time I will be updating one chapter a week on BOTH stories and if I get the time maybe two on some occasions. XD Enjoy and you know the drill. 3 2 1 READ!!**

Chapter 11

I was living in practically heaven. Nearly a month here and no one had experimented on me, hurt me, tested me, starved me, made me perform incredible feats for survival. And the best part was that no one had separated me from Chase or Sky.

I was still careful though, I rarely spoke and if I did it was to either my brother and sister or a very few of the other experiments hiding here. But could we live like this forever? A dull, blunt part of me told me that we couldn't. And even if we ran to the end of the world, they would still come after us, they would eventually find us. The others may have lived years and years here safe and happy. But it was a matter of time before the Arena decided to seek them out and destroy everything they had made here. I was certain the Arena knew about this place and for some unknown twisted reason only known to them they had let me and the others live a simple life here in the mountains. Probably to see how we would adapt and survive on our own. It was probably all just another experiment.

My entire life had been nothing but one huge experiment. It was hard to imagine that this wasn't just part of the regime. That at this very moment as I Walked through the twisting cave tunnels to a ledge whilst holding Sky's hand that the Arena didn't know. I clung a little tighter to Sky's hand fearing that I was right and my once thought of dream would become a nightmare.

"Hey what's the matter?"

I shook my head at her and dragged my mind away from my damned thoughts. And focused on what could free me. I had decided this morning when I woke up that I was going to teach myself to fly. No matter how many times I fell, by the time the sun had set I would be in the sky.

We rounded the last bend and nearly bumped into of the kids here. He was called Zee, like us he had wings but he wasn't from the Arena. They said he was from a place called the School, a section of labs. Chase told me when he was brought here he babbled about the other children there and how they were tested on always. He was lucky he wasn't taken to the school he was two years older than me, but he seemed more childish making me appear the oldest. He still had that spark of child innocence in him, I wonder what it was like to be childlike and carefree.

Sky took a step to the side to allow Zee past as he was carrying numerous blankets on his arm. They smelled fresh so they must've been hung out to dry at the cave entrance. "Do you want a had Zee?" Sky asked as I have hid behind her legs.

"Nah I'm fine. You okay Max?" See looked at me and smiled.

I slightly nodded my head and he seemed to lose his smile. His brown hair which stuck up at every angle had a shaven off patch and I could see a scar lining the rim of his skull. The school was probably just as bad as the Arena for its experiments.

"I'll see you both at lunch, don't be late hahaha. See ya Sky. Max." He seemed to skip down the tunnel, balancing the pile of blankets precariously.

We walked forward till we got to the entrance/exit. The sun was shinning today an it seemed the snow had melted.

"Max, you do know you can talk to everyone here don't you? They wont hurt you here, we're like a family." Sky said as she sat down and pulled out her sketch pad and pencil.

"I know." I assured her. When she started sketching the view around us (and millions of pictures of birds). Sky was an artist, with TALENT.

I walked to the edge of the hangover and looked out at the sky and clouds. It was so open here.

I was free. But not as free as I could be. Sky had been right, the sun was beautiful, it blazed across the sky and made everything seem wonderful, exciting and new. It almost made me think that there was no evil in the world. Almost. I wanted t be in the sky, my wings ached for the first time in my life to be used for what they were meant to do. I wanted to fly.

Sky could fly. She had beautiful burgundy wings. Mine were different. Mine where a clear light brown with splotches and mixes of light and dark colours. They were pretty wings, but not as beautiful or as amazing as Sky's.

I stood at the top off the mountain and flapped my wings. I even tried hopping into the air. I may have lasted a couple of seconds but gravity always won in the end. After ten minutes I huffed and sat down crossing my arms and legs, pouting.

A quiet laugh came from behind me. Immediately I got up, and with a huge smile on my face ran into Sky's arms. She picked me up easily and swung me around. She even started to tickle me, careful of my bandaged arms, legs and chest.

She smiled at me. "Were you trying to fly?"

I nodded.

"Max, your only four. You're too young to fly yet."

When she said that I hopped out of her arms. And stubborn but determined I started flapping my wings again. I tried rotating my wings and flapping them at different time and in synchronisation.

Sky sat down on a rock and started drawing in a notebook she had.

It took e three hours before I got into the air. I was wobbling a bit, but I had gotten the hang of it. You had to flap your wings at the same time and on the down pull you had to slightly turn your wings inside, the tiniest amount about this much -.

Sky looked up to check on me and saw I was in the air. Her jaw dropped and so did the pencil from her hand.

She stood up and yelled, "CHASE! Get up here NOW!"

A boy a little older than Sky came up through one of the tunnels in the side of the mountain. He had dark brown hair and dark blue eyes, navy coloured. He was tall and muscular with strong features. He was only wearing jeans a white vest top and scruffy grey trainers. But he was incredibly good looking.

"What? What's wrong?"

Instead of answering Sky pointed up at me, I was beginning to learn the basics of flying how to angle my wings so I could turn, go up or down, all sorts. Was in the middle of doing a mid air flip when Chase saw me. His jaw dropped open.

"She's flying?" He asked stunned.

"Apparently so." Sky murmured awed.

I looked at the ground and flew shakily over to them.

"How long has she been at this?" Chase asked.

"Umm, four hours roughly."

Chase turned towards her in disbelief. Sky just shrugged her shoulders.

My wings were starting to get tired but there was a problem.

"Sky, Chase?" When I had their attention I continued.

"How do I stop flying?"

"Easy just stop flapping." Chase said in a 'duh' voice.

"No, don't tell her that!" Sky shrieked alarmed.

It was too late though. I had closed my wings and I dropped like a hailstone. I tried to flap my wings again. I didn't want to have an impact with the floor, I was already hurt enough as it was. The floor got closer and I thought 'this is going to hurt'. Then arms pulled me up from behind, I cried out as the arms banged against my bandaged ribcage. Chase lifted me entirely into his arms and I curled up against his chest. Feeling safe.

Chase flapped his brown wings with silver tints till we were level with the ground.

"You okay Max?" He asked worried.

I peeked out through the hair that had fallen over my face and saw both Sky and Chase looking down at me.

I smiled at asked "Teach me how to land?"

They both smiled and we shared a hug. Chase taught me how to fly, swerve in the air, do running landings sudden drops, take offs from a spot, everything. Sky sat back drawing sketches of us.

We had even gathered an audience, the people that lived in the mountain with us knew about us, like we knew about them. We were friends. Accidentally I landed right on top of Anthony, the man in charge. He had black hair mussed over his head, pale skin and green gleaming eyes. I tumbled down his back and over the side of the mountain. Quickly he snagged my shirt before I got out of reach and he had to dive after me.

I giggled as he pulled me up to his face.

"Having fun Max?" He asked.

I smiled and spoke for the first time to him. "Yes."

He smiled more and his eyes crinkled at the side, giving him a fatherly look.

"How's about we give Chase a break and I teach you a few things about flying?" he snapped his raven black wings out and flew with me in his arms.

Chase landed gracefully and sat down next to Sky taking a bottle of water from a young boy.

"Don't drop her Anthony." Chase called up to us playfully.

I waved down to Sky and Chase but other thought I was waving to them and waved back. I hardly ever spoke to anyone but Sky and Chase, now Anthony as well.

Anthony flew higher than what I had been able to manage. It was fun I even tried to reach out and grab some of the clouds. I looked around at the mountains that towered up beside our mountain, the acres of woods that surrounded the mountains. I thought for a mad moment that if I could see everything, could they see me. I didn't want to ever go back to the Arena. But I felt so vulnerable right then, I curled up in Anthony's arms and we stopped in mid-flight.

He must've guessed what I was afraid of. Because he raised my chin so I could look into his eyes that seemed to old to belong to him. They had seen too much.

"Never be afraid of living Max, otherwise they have won. Death holds freedom for us, not an end. We will always be here for you. You may feel like you're alone but you're not."

I felt safer with Anthony, the way I felt in Chase and Sky's arms. It was a comforting feeling.

Anthony chuckled to himself and grinned at me.

"I just came up with a motto for you kid." I looked confusedly at him at he carried on regardless.

"Live life to the Max, and have the Ride of your life. What do you think?" I grinned with him not understanding what he just said but liking the way it sounded.

Then he let go of me and I started flying, he was beginning to direct me on how to do a spiral when falling, when I heard a distant boom and something clipped Anthony's shoulder and wing. It was only a graze but still, feathers burst into the air along with blood.

Anthony unintentionally dropped me. But I caught myself with my wings and started flying back to the cave. I could hear Sky screaming amongst the others. As I got closer the gunshots fired louder.

And I realised something.

I knew all along this would happen. Like I had said how could the Arena no know of this place. They had been watching all along. Now they were bored. Now they wanted us back. Or dead.

**A/N I'm so sorry its been ages since I last updated. So I made this chapter a little longer to make you smile and forgive me so enjoy it. And reviews are always welcome. By the way the flock will appear in around five more chapters**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N Okay people here's this weeks update.**

Chapter 12

I let myself freefall for a few feet before pulling up in a barrel roll and angling for the cave where I could run to Chase and Sky. Anthony was falling down to the ground and at the last moment I saw him spread his wings as wide as he cold to catch some air and not go squish on the ground.

The flapping of leather wings grew louder, something sharp stung my leg. I felt warm blood drip down my leg. I ignored it all, the pain, the metal bullet I could feel stuck in my leg, the screams and the vicious snarls from the monsters that were swarming the mountain.

I didn't care I just needed to get to Chase and Sky, as long as we were together we would be fine, we would survive. I didn't, couldn't be separated from them again. I would break.

I was just a hundred feet from landing when something tackled me in mid air. Clawed hands grabbed me and handled me roughly. A Wing Beater wrapped his arms around me and no matter how much I squirmed or kicked I couldn't get free.

I glanced down as strong down strokes took me further away from my family. I could see Sky running to the edge of the cliff, at the last moment Chase tackled her ducked behind a boulder just as a gun shots were fired at them. People went down, people screamed, people died. The sounds got fainter and fainter as I was flown to a clearing in the woods. In the clearing there was a helicopter and two more experiments who had been captured like me. Before I could do anything, especially seeing as my mind was frozen and barely processing what was happening in front of me, a black back was thrown over my head. A solid thump to the back of my head had me welcoming a blank, dark abyss. I hoped that when I woke up this would all be a very, very bad dream. Yet I knew that was wishful thinking. Not even Sky and Chase could help me now.

The Arena would be a lot worse now, my punishment for escaping. But I had made a promise to myself and I was going to keep it. I would be strong and fight them with every breath I had. Just like Sky and Chase, for them. That was my last thought as fell into nothing.

I was back. And I, surprisingly, didn't care. I knew I couldn't escape. This was were I was 'born' and this was where I would die. Blood clotted the back of my head after I had been hit. They had thought it would be funny to rip out the few stitches I had left, as well as the scabs, and they traced over the scars on my body with slow patience, and a sharpened surgical blade. I had screamed once before I bit my lip to keep myself silent.

Now I was in a cage, next to two others who had been brought back with me. One with wings, the other with snake skin. We were all silent. I listened to the noises around me, the clang of metal, soul piercing screams, the hum of machines working. I smiled gril to myself, I was home.

"What's going to happen?" The girl with snake skin asked. She was probably a year or something older than me, but the fear evident on her face made me feel older. I had lost my fear of these monsters a long time ago.

"They're going to torture us like normal, and, probably, eventually kill us." I told her in a blank monotone.

"So we have no control over what happens to us." The boys my age with wings said from the cage on my right.

"We have control, not as much as others have over their lives, but we can let them break us or fight tooth and nail every step of the way." I said with a grin imagining Chase was next to me grinning in approval.

The snake girl looked at me with tears in her eyes, but she still smiled faintly. "I'm Azra, you're a lot like your brother and sister you know?"

Azra's words made me smile. All I had ever wanted was to be like them, little did she know I was NOTHING like them. But I could pretend, the point of being a child was to pretend and have fun until you grew so I would pretend.

The door opened and the tap of smart shoes on the tiled floor announced the entrance of the scientists.

"These are experiments GQ375 and YE904." One of the scientists said as they walked in and pointed to Azra and the boy.

"What about the other one? Isn't that the one that had the motor neuron operation, does anyone know if the micro chipping has been activated in the central nervous system and the brain cells?" The woman who crouched by my cage looked very fascinated, the type of fascination a kid gives and ant as they burn it with a magnifying glass. I disliked he straight away.

"IT has a name." I snarled at her face. "I'm Maximum Ride."

She looked taken aback. "It speaks."

"No duh, I can also run and breathe and even fly. Believe it or not."

To my discouragement she looked more excited than annoyed. "Rory, how old is it? I thought he avian experiments couldn't fly until their fifth year. Send her down for testing."

Oh damn. Seemed like I had peeked their interest.

I let them drag me down to one of their testing rooms. There was no point resisting this. After all I couldn't exactly fight three Wing Beaters. All they made me do was fly in a air tunnel, and take a few muscle and blood samples, nothing I wasn't use to.

When I got back to my cage (was this what I was going to live in from now on instead of the steel cells?), Azra and the boy with wings were bruised and crying.

When my cage was locked and the Wing Beater had walked out, I turned my attention to them. "What happened?"

Azra couldn't talk, she was crying too much. We're scheduled for termination. They say we're useless and deserve it for escaping in the first place. We're probably going to get fed to the Hounds."

Azra kind of started to quietly scream to herself. I glared at the boy.

"You know what kid? You're kind of depressing, besides I'll try to keep you safe. Even if you are an emo."

I didn't know what an emo was, but I had heard Chase call Anthony one when he was talking about death and saying it would be great to take out the scientists with him. But this kid was my version of an emo, seeing as I had only Anthony for an example talking about death, then this kid was MY emo.

"I'm not emo. Just practical, and my name is Jethro Not kid."

"Either way, I'll help you. You only die if you give in, but we're going to fight."

"Okay fine. We'll try your going out with a bang idea. Besides it might be fun." Jethro smiled in a kind of evil sadistic way. But hey what did I expect. He'd been through hell just like me and I was far from normal.

"So what do we do now?" Azra asked with hope in her eyes.

"We wait. And when they come to kill us we fight, we make them afraid. Because the others are going to come and get us. We lived in the mountain and we're a family. They're all coming to get us out of here." Azra smiled and clapped to herself.

I looked at Jethro and he grinned at me. He knew I was lying.

All of the others who lived in the caves were probably dead already. They were probably dead hours ago. Inside I was afraid. When I died what would happen? Would I be free like Chase and Sky had told me? Or would I be trapped somewhere else? Could there even be a worse place than the Arena? I didn't know any of the answers. But I felt good giving Azra hope.

Like a spark an idea formed in my mind. I had a power that could practically do anything. It was still there, I could feel it, almost as though a part of me was sleeping and just waiting for a poke and to be awakened. I would try and get us out of here safely and if I couldn't, the least I could do is keep us alive. I may be the youngest, possibly, out of us three I was the one who could keep us safe. Maybe I could be that strong.

I just needed to control that part of me that could do so much damage, properly. Tomorrow would be the beginning of my self training. I thought as the lights were automatically shut off. Night time is normally quiet and peaceful. After so long of living in a cave that was homey, this night I had to listen to screams and dieing whimpers.

Azra had fallen asleep curled up, Jethro was sitting up asleep. I was wide awake.

There was a creak and the door swung silently open. I glared at the Wing Beater standing there. He just grinned and chuckled.

"Welcome home kiddo, I missed you."

**A/N this is just an insight into how Max's thinking changes from being afraid, to becoming semi fearless and rebellious. Also this is a short chapter and this week I should update more quickly as it is half term. So yay!! And hope you enjoyed the chapters. **

**Review Please XD **


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N I am so sorry that I haven't updated in so long. For some reason these files just wouldn't upload, but now they have I hope you enjoy and you will not hurt me. But today I should be updating everyone of my stories and Happy Mothers day to all those mums =D**

Chapter 13

I was dragged out of my cage a few hours ago. I was chained by every appendage I had, to a steel chair that was even bolted to the floor. Heck, did they forget I was a little kid? What did they think I was going to do to get out of this? Oh wait, they had seen me rip a Hound to shreds without even touching it, maybe that was why they were being so cautious.

But they didn't know I wouldn't use my special powers anymore. Surely I would be able to defeat or stop them by doing something else. I didn't need that deadly side of me……. Did I?

I glared as the Wing Beaters came in through the doors dragging Jethro and Azra by their shirts. They looked beaten to a pulp, yet Azra still smiled as she saw me strapped down. She was trying to put on a brave face, yet her lips were trembling and her hands where clenched white. Jethro looked at me and rolled his eyes.

"Well kiddies are we all ready to play? This is going to be just like a play date, only I'll be the one having fun." Lash said as he pressed buttons on a control panel.

A type of human sized tube slowly came up from the floor with a hiss. It was like a giant test tube, I nearly expected to see a growing baby mutant inside it. But it was empty.

What the heck was going on? A few more scientist and Wing Beaters came in. As well as a man in military clothing who walked right up to me and looked at me with a cynical eye.

"You better be worth the money I paid to make you the best damn weapon ever." He said in a dry voice as he walked up to Lash, who was holding Azra, and whispered something into his ear. Lash grinned and nodded eagerly.

"Hey Maxie girl. If you ever remember anything in your useless life remember this. Its ALL your fault." Lash said cheerfully. And with what seemed to be a simple flick of his wrist he threw Azra into the container as the top sealed shut on itself trapping her in.

Where they going to suffocate her??

"You have around three minutes to save her, use you're psychic abilities like you did to rip up one of those dogs. Come on now, show us what you got or the little experiment will die."I spun my head away to quickly look at Azra, there was nothing unusual, the tube was empty and she was silently banging on the glass. Then I glanced down when I saw something shimmer. There was water, they were slowly filling it up with water, they were going to fill it up. Thy were going to drown her.

"No stop!" I shouted and struggled by my chains. A thought occurred to me, Jethro was doing nothing, he was standing there and he wasn't even chained or being held back. It was as though he was watching this of his own free will. Azra's pounding fists became more frantic as the water reached her knees and seemed to rise faster. "Jethro do something." He turned to look at me and instead of trying to stop this went over and leaned against the wall next to Lash.

"I'm going to survive, I'm going to be a Wing Beater." His voice was dull, empty of any emotion, he had changed in a few short hours into a mindless puppet.

I tried to find that special thing in my mind that allowed me to do incredible things. But it wasn't there, as though it had moved or was just under layers. The machined that were hooked up to me started beeping erratically. I was running out of time, the water was up to Azra's chest. I pushed deeper into my mind, feeling pain nearly blacken my vision. My chest hurt as quick short breaths ripped through my throat.

Azra screamed an shouted. No. I promised her I would get her out, I would keep her safe. I couldn't break that promise already. No she couldn't die, not her as well. Tears fell down my face as she began to tread water and push her face up to the top of the tank to catch her breath before the water rushed to fill in the last of the gap. She was completely submerged.

My mind lashed out at me and I flinched, but at the same time a crack formed in the glass. My eyes widened and I could hear the murmurs of the scientists and constant beeping of machines. Come on a little more. I thought to myself as I literally pulled against my own brain, I felt blood drip down my nose and threw a type of invisible barrier at the glass. Cracks formed and leaks began to drip, but it wasn't enough. Azra couldn't hold her breath and existentially took a breath in. Water flooded her lungs and she started to thrash whilst floating in the water. She was drowning and suffocating at the same time. It was terrible to watch as her back arched and she clawed at her own throat. In fear, anger and pure desperation I yanked harshly on my mind and more cracks blistered across the surface of the glass. A red light began to flash on the beeping machines and a huge warning sign appeared on the screen.

"She's haemorrhaging!" I heard a scientist frantically call out.

I paid no attention. Azra's movement was slowing to sluggish attempts. I mustered the last of my energy and threw whatever I could at the glass. I heard a smash and water and glass burst everywhere. Azra slumped to floor coughing, retching and wheezing. She was shaking and couldn't even push herself up on trembling arms, just curled into the fetal position. I heard one last constant droning beep as the energy or force, or whatever I had thrown at the tube, rebounded back and hit me, shaking the chains, rattling my teeth and practically scorching my mind. Everything went numb and black.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N Kay here is the next chapter. The next one will take me a while. But for now enjoy and a HUGE thanks to everyone for all of the encouraging reviews.**

Chapter 14

I woke up with a cold draft blowing my hair into my lips and my body shaking by the freezing numbness around me. I opened my eyes slowly and registered I was in a cold room. These were specially designed metal rooms to drop to zero degrees Celsius and test our body's capability with harsh environments. My eyes took in the metal panelled walls, the cold mist rested at the bottom of the floor and I could see a body lying two feet from me.

Realisation and memory dawned on me, causing me the crawl forward with what felt like frozen stiff muscles. I scrambled on the floor till I reached the still cold form of Azra. Her chest was barely moving with the slight breath she still had, it was so cold that her wet clothes were icier than snow itself. Her damp hair seemed to be slowly freezing in clumps on her head. She wasn't even shivering anymore, she was beyond that.

"A-a-azz-ra!" I shout past trembling lips.

Her wide eyes flicker to me and her cracked lips whisper slightly as she inhales. "Ssssssssssssssooo coooooold-d-d."

"I know." I try to say steadily as I rub her arms and try to wrap her more up in her baggy clothes. There no blankets no source of heat. I needed to get us out of here soon. Her blue skin was scary to look at, and I didn't know how to deal with frostbite or hypothermia or whatever else was wrong with her. I just knew I needed to get us out of here. I had to try, I had to succeed.

I looked to were I could see the air compressed sealed door. I needed to rip it off its hinges and get us in the warmth. I reached for that space in my mind where so much power waited, when I felt like I was grasping it I imagined the door folding outwards, crushing and making a way out for us. But instead of a reassuring warmth and strength in my mind searing pain shredded through my mind. I fell forward and held my head feeling as though someone was ripping a knife through my skull and stamping on it at the same time. After moments of clutching my head for dear life I raised my eyes to the door to see nothing had happened. After three more tries and three more rounds of feeling my mind seize in pain and clutching my head on the floor. I gave up. I couldn't use my mind anymore. My one weapon had been taken away from me. I couldn't save us.

My eyes snapped back down to Azra and I could see her breaths stilling in the misted air. I wrapped my shaking form around her and held her close rubbing her arms and back, the way Sky did to me. "It's going to be okay Azra we just gotta stay awake for a bit longer then they'll come and take us out." I tried to reassure her but there was no escaping the lie. We would probably die here. But I wouldn't give up till the last moment. Till the very end.

"I'm tired." I heard Azra barely whisper and I tried to get her to stay awake to talk to me, to peel open her eyes. But no matter how hard I tried her eyes wouldn't open. And the quiet gentle breathing stilled permanently.

Silent tears traced down my cheeks as I tried shaking her awake. But nothing I did would wake her. She was dead. Azra, sweet Azra who acted younger than me had been killed because of these MONSTERS treatments of her.

A burning rage welled up in me, wiping away the numbness of the cold. I ran up to the metal door and heedlessly started pounding it withy my fists. Screaming wordless curses at them all. I couldn't blame Jethro for turning on us. It happened and who knows what training they had put him through. But to drown a kid and when she survives to freeze her to death. It seemed so…..cruel. More cruel than what they had done to me, I could deal with the pain and experiments, I was Maximum Ride. But to treat someone as sweet and charming as Azra, it was too cruel. Even my mind couldn't comprehend it.

My knuckles pounded till they ached, then the skin cracked and blood ran, I could feel myself crushing my own bones with the force of my hits, my knuckles shifted position painfully with each strike, but it didn't stop me, if anything it fuelled me on. "I'm going to kill you!! I wont stop till we're BOTH DEAD!!!!" I scream as hard as I can, making my voice sore.

Too soon though the cold returns back and seeps into my skin. My banging grows sluggish and I slowly slide down the metal door. My fist still slowly and lightly banging in a futile rebellion. My eyelids felt heavy, my breath fogged up my face and my thinking seemed to practically slow down. NO!! I couldn't sleep. I couldn't let them win. I just have to stay awake a bit longer. They would open the door. They always did after a certain time. And when they did I would… I would… I would get back my ability and I would never hold back again. There were just some people in this world who needed to die. Then I would………………. I never finished the thought as I just slipped away for what felt like the thousandth time in my life. And I was just FOUR!! Well, I think.

**A/N Right I know its short but the next chapter will be longer and this is also where the surprises and disaster kicks in. And soon the School shall come in to play. Enjoy as always and reviews are appreciated. =]**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N sorry for the delay in updating but I have been busy and I seem to have been neglecting my stories, also if I don't update quick enough its because of my exams, work and the bloody doctors. But I will try so enjoy as always. =]**

Chapter 15

I was in a cell again. Chained up by wrists and ankles to a wall. I couldn't fight anymore, I was as useless as a new born baby. Whatever their experiment was meant to do, it hadn't done it. In the end I had lost all of the power and strength in my mind. Rendering me a waste of space.

Jethro was useful to them now, he was helping restrain the experiments, soon he would be obeying orders to kill them. He was becoming one of their favoured experiments. He would survive, maybe that had been his plan. But I didn't know if I wanted to. I was still scratched up, bruised and bloody from the experiments they had put me through recently, trying to put me in extreme situations to see if I could bring out that special power they wanted for so much destruction.

But that was just a waste of time, money and resources. Today was the day I'd die. I had been slated for termination. I had been used as much as they could, and according to them I was a failure experiment since I was created. I wasn't even meant to live beyond a week, yet I had lived till now and they said I should be proud of that. They were laughing when they told me.

I was now in the Arena, the centre of the labs, where experiments fought to be the best of the best, to the death, and sometimes, where useless experiments were thrown in to be dinner for another experiment. The Arena had tiny metal antechambers, with reinforced glass walls for the guards and scientists to see out of, the main Arena was huge, bigger than the antechambers together, it had a metal floor coated in sand, and rows of seats built up around it with bullet proof glass for the watcher protection. Sometimes I thought this was all just a sport to them, making experiments fight each other till the death. Sky said it was what gladiators in Rome use to do, hence why the compound was given the name the Arena.

In my cell I kept looking down at my right side, they had branded me so there would be no mix up. Not literally branded, but in a way, they had given me a tattoo of a feather with a section at the tip missing, the floating pieces formed tiny birds in the distance. The tattoo was meant to be a mark to show that I was one of the failure bird experiments and no longer needed, but the man who had laughed grinning while drawing with the needle, he had said "Even if you die, this will be a piece of art. At least your flesh is worth something."I was nothing but a canvas to him, nothing but a weapon to the scientists once upon a time, now I was nothing but a broken toy. Even if I didn't like the man who had branded me, I couldn't deny that the tattoo wasn't pretty. It was definitely nice and I liked it, I just wished that I could have gotten it when I wanted it. But it made my skin look raw and red, the inking made me look bruised.

Clangs of metals signalled my executioners arrival. I didn't fight as they dragged me out of the cell and down the hallways to one of the small Arena's. I would see Azra, Chase and Sky soon, I was certain they had died in the mountains. I heard the Wing Beaters talk about how they had fun massacring the place and counting up the bodies. They had left no one alive.

I was thrown into the Arena with a bear experiment and a tiger looking one. The Wing Beater called Lash smiled at me as he slashed my side with his clawed hand. Blood began to drip steadily. I thrashed trying to somehow fight this, but I was weak. I had gone through three days of experiments and no food. I was only allowed water and my energy was leaking further away from me.

It was no use and the minute I was thrown in the Arena, the experiments attention was directly on me. That's why he cut me, they were hungry and now they were going to be spurred on by the scent of blood. I cried and screamed as the creatures launched at me. Claws and teeth battered me and sank in deep. In the end I was reduced to a curled up ball as they used me as a live chew toy. My arm was munched on by the bear and I screamed as bones snapped and mashed together. I just let myself go to the pain even when they got bored and curled up to rest for a while. I wasn't sure what I was going to do it truly looked like I had no way out of this, it was all one huge game of cat and mouse, and I was the poor mouse that was being toyed with.

I was back at the Arena, I had been back for days now, I think, or maybe weeks or months. It was nearly impossible to tell there were no windows, I ached to see the sun or the moon again. I would never see it in this depressing hell hole, I was probably going to die without another taste of freedom.

I curled up tighter and ignored the blood that ran down my shredded arm. The experiments in the room had left me to be, the bear looking one was dozing slightly, the tiger striped one was licking my blood off its fur. I was surprised I was still alive.

I moved slowly to grab the end of my top so I could place it over my bleeding wound. The tigers ears perked in my direction, it nudged the bear and they both slowly stalked me. I hesitantly moved backwards, pushing with the heel of my foot to get away. The tiger moved so quick, it pounced on my back and started tearing at my baby wings, I cried out and tried to bring them in tighter to my back to limit the damage. The bear knocked me with its huge paw/hand, I felt the curved claws hook into my cheek and rip. My tears mixed with blood and I made a desperate attempt to run out of their reach.

I could run no where though, I was trapped in a cage like room with these mindless fiends till they killed me. I felt teeth and claws drag at me and pull my flesh sharply. I closed my eyes and thought of Sky and Chase. Please let them be okay. I'm so scared but they are never afraid, I want to be brave like my brother and sister. I should be able to fight, I shouldn't hide and cower in fear. I proved them wrong for years, they expected me to die and I had survived to spite them. Now I couldn't fight, as much as I hated the fact, I was still only a four year old girl.

Suddenly the two snarling beasts were thrown off of me, safe arms picked me up and I was quickly dashed out of the door. I looked up to see Sky scared face. She had tears running in streams down her eyes. "Hang on Max, we're nearly there." She panted.

The world suddenly tilted and I went flying out of Sky's arms, she went down and screamed, I faintly registered the sound of a gun shot.

I went to go back to Sky to help her up, but cruel hands yanked me up by my hair and regardless to my wounds strong arms squashed me against a chest.

I looked around and my heart skipped a beat. Wing Beaters.

They dragged Sky back to the cage room and locked her in with the tiger and bear experiments. The Wing Beater who held me pressed my face against the glass, I watched horror-struck as they ripped into her, more vicious now that they had been stopped killing me.

"It's all your fault. Look at her, dying. Why? For you, because of you. If you never existed, if you had just died in the beginning like you were supposed to, she would live, she would feel no pain. Watch it and enjoy because this is all for you. Little birdie, this is your life now. And don't try to escape because I will hunt you down, just like you I can fly, not even the skies will over you refuge from me."

I didn't know who the Wing Beaters were or what type of experiments. To me they were all scary and monstrous creatures, they were made up of nightmares and were worse than the monster under your bed or in the closet because they were real.

I saw Sky look at me and she moved her lips,, I didn't know what she was saying and I pressed a hand against the glass of the window, trying to reach her. My heart, my soul was shattering by watching her die. They pulled the bear and tiger out and petted them, murmuring praise. Sky's limbs looked shredded, and her once glorious wings was a raw bleeding wound. Unrecognizable.

Then something drove me over the edge. A small humorous chuckle from the Wing Beater who held whispered by my ear. I let my grief and anger wash over me. I had to do something, anything.

In desperation I snapped my wings open knocking my captor of balance. He let go of me and I grabbed the gun from his waist. I shot him in the stomach and he went down. I shot the Wing Beaters there with quick precision. I don't know I knew how to use a gun, but I knew I had to put in another magazine clip, and how to get a round into the barrel, it was as easy as breathing. I shot the two experiments that were licking at Sky's blood smeared on the floor.

When I was done I dropped the gun and ran into the room to Sky. I ignored the sight of blood everywhere, but I still got glimpses and the smell of death was overpowering.

I slipped in the blood when I reached her side, I didn't get up I just laid next to her staring into her eyes where her inner light was slowly flickering out.

"Sky please don't go." My voice broke in so many places it didn't sound like me.

"It's…………going…to be….okay Max. I love you…….s'not….your fault…… Ever" Blood rushed out of her mouth and the light in her eyes died entirely.

Tears ran down my cheeks. I heard footsteps running down the halls. It didn't matter they could take me now. What was the point in fighting them? They had taken everything. I built a wall around myself, so was numb to the pain, physical, mental and emotional. My tears dried up and my expression went blank. No matter what Sky had said it was my fault. I was entirely broken and things only got worse from then.

I stared blankly at the floor as I was dragged away, my blood slowly mixed with Sky's. My sister was dead, and most likely my brother. No one was coming to save me. I had no family.

**A/N If your curious to see the tattoo I described there's a link to the image on my profile hope you like it X)**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N Okay I'm sorry that the last chapter was sad, even I was upset when I killed Sky off. But the good news is that I'm going to start introducing the flock in this chapter. And soon this story will end. I'm sorry but its true. Thanks for all of your awesome reviews.**

Chapter 16

I stared at the computer screen blankly, seeing the data on Chase. Stamped across his record and a quick snap of his face, in big red letters read RETIRED.

No matter what way you spun it, retired, exterminated, decommissioned, it was still death. Murder no matter what way you played with the words.

I didn't regret sneaking out though, I could hear the footsteps pounding down the corridor. I needed to know for definite if they were telling the truth about Chase. I had skimmed through all the files found footage of when they had destroyed the caves, the few experiments who survived were terminated or put into something called the Genesis Programme. They were as good as dead if the information I'd read about the programme was true. My sister, Sky, dead. My brother, Chase, dead. My friends, dead. My hopes and dreams dead along with them.

So when the Wing Beaters broke into the computer room where I was with Chase's picture flashing on the screen with the with the big red letters across it, they laughed. I was huddled up staring at the image of my brother. Knowing it was the last time I'd see his face.

"Looks like she's realised she's all alone in this world. Maybe we should send her with her family?" One of the Wing Beaters chuckled.

Cruel hands dragged me from the room and down the hall to where cages were kept. I was pulled through a door to another metal room, only this one had vehicles and trucks being loaded and unloaded with medical equipment and experiments, somewhere in cages and others were following like sheep. What was going on?

As I was marched to a row of cages full of experiments who looked like they were on their last legs I remembered something Sky and Chase had said to me. _Never give up. Keep fighting till the very end. It's what gives us power over our own life. We wont let them win by taking away our fighting spirit._

That was what they had said to me ever since the scientists threw me into their containment unit, they never expected me to live beyond a few months, but I had fought. Sky and Chase had fought, till the bitter and bloody end. And so would I, for them, for my friends, for myself, for my freedom.

With that sudden decision in mind I started struggling, I kicked the Wing Beater in front of me, I bit the arm holding me, I scratched my nails across the face as one of them tried to snap his teeth at me. I got hit and scratched and thrown into the wall, but I managed to get enough room so I could take a shaky running leap in the air. I flapped my wings, grateful for my fast healing ability, my wings strained and ached as I rose higher into the air. I flapped so I could get higher and further away from them. I managed to get onto one of the metal beams running across the ceiling, the shouts were increasingly louder. I clung to the metal beam and balanced myself out so I could stand and grin down at them all. The guards were clamouring around trying to egg me down with taunts. Instead I stiffened my upper lip and flipped them my middle finger. I'd seen one of the Wing Beaters do it to the scientist, the scientists reaction it didn't mean anything nice and it really annoyed the hell out of them. That was proven true when The people/monsters below started trying to scale the walls shouting threats about ripping me to shreds.

I laughed and started throwing taunts myself until one of the Wing Beaters with leather wings tackled me down to the ground where I was knocked unconscious by fuming guards. I was till laughing and grinning as they beat me into submission.

O woke to the sound of rumbling metal. The floor beneath where my head lay seemed to be rumbling. Dimly I thought if they were doing bomb testing and hopefully if it had gone wrong and a whole lot of them were dead. But when I opened my eyes all I saw were flashing lights. I was in a cage and the flashing lights were strobe lights passing in and out of the bars. I had only been in a cage a few times before, and I knew straight away I'd always hate it and never get use to it.

I was being rolled by a scientist who looked dweeby with wire rim glasses. I crouched down on my hands and knees and started throwing myself at the cage, causing the dweeby guy to squeak in fright and let go of the cage. He called for help and two burly men came out to drag the cage to the room he pointed at. The guards didn't look like Wing Beaters, they looked like a lupine experiment only, more feral and beastly. I wasn't at the Arena anymore, this place even smelt different.

I snapped out of my thoughts as the beasts threw my cage into a room full of others, sending me heads over heels with the tumbling crate. I managed to find my tongue by the time I'd stopped rolling.

"HEY! Where the hell am I? Where are you going? Let me out or I'll kick the hell out of you with one wing tied behind my back! HEY!"

They didn't listen or pay attention just closed the door so my only light was the dim flickering over head light that swung slightly in a draft.

I carried on banging my fists and ramming my body against the bars. Shouting wordless curses at apparently no one. Something stirring in the cage next to me stopped me as I swung my gaze towards it.

"You shouldn't make any noise. They don't like it, they'll send in one of the Erasers and you'll either get hurt ore die. Either its better to just be quiet." The person who spoke was a boy with dark black hair, even darker wings, lightly brown skin and bottomless eyes. He was around the same age as me I guess.

"I'll do what I like, they aren't going to stop me. And if I die, that'll only happen when I say so. That's my power not there's. and what the heck is a Eraser? And who are you?" I demanded in a no nonsense voice that Sky used to use on me.

"I haven't got a name, and Erasers are the things that brought you in here." He turned his back to me and sat with a stiff back, trying to ignore me.

"Haven't got a name? Then make one. I did. I'm Maximum Ride, Max for short." I said grinning to myself at the memory of when Chase and Sky helped me figure out a name.

The dark boy shrugged his shoulders.

"You're weird. You barely talk yet you spoke a minute ago. You're a pain in the bum, I'm not going to talk to you anymore."

I turned my head away from the strange quiet dark boy. But out of the corner of my eye I could see one side of his mouth lift up.

**A/N Next chapter will be up by nest week and we will be seeing more of the flock. I also need to find out how to give them there names so any suggestions are more than welcome. **


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N Thanks for all of your awesome reviews, you really do make my day. My exams are ending so I should be able to update more after work. Midge 1012 I had a similar idea like what you suggested but personally I think that's been done too many times. Hopefully you'll like my idea but thanks for t review X). Freedom Requires A Battle Cry don't sweat its not just us blondes, everyone had those moments. But it is nice to hear from you and hope this story doesn't disappoint. Its nice to know I have loyal readers who are actually following my series. Thanks all!**

Chapter 17

I sat in my cage and stared at the flickering dim light, it was the only thing I could use to keep track of the time. The strange dark boy didn't speak again, I did catch him glancing anxiously at the door though. I was just waiting for something to change, so I could cause a little trouble for those no good, devil working scientists. That was my sole aim now, to cause trouble for those who thought they could control me or the other experiments and play god.

I continued counting the flickers of the light bulb.

The door opened on flicker 4,821,642. Counting was the only was I could keep myself sane and stop my mind from wandering to Chase and Sky.

The door opened and more lights flicked on causing my eyes to sting as they adjusted to the lighting. A small blonde boy was dragged in kicking and screaming by his hair by one of the rough looking Erasers.

The dark boy came alive and started watching anxiously.

"You wana go back with your lil buddy? Well do ya you worthless dog?" The Eraser shoved the blonde boys head into the dark ones cages bars, making them rattle and him to cry out in pain. The Eraser was laughing as he unlatched the cage door. When the blonde boy was nearly all the way in next to his friend, I saw the Eraser hand tighten in his hair and cruelty spark in his eyes. I narrowed my eyes.

"Ya know what? I wana play a bit."

"I'll play with you. That's what you do with dogs isn't it? Play, feed, water then control them. Are you their bitch?" I asked in a bored blasé voice.

Sky would scold me for saying the B word, but she wasn't here to protect me. And I know how to get a rise out of the guards, I've been watching Chase and Sky do it all my life like experts. And it worked like a charm, the Eraser forgot about the boys and came after me nearly ripping my cage door off to get it open.

I heard the blonde boy whisper as I readied for the attack. "Does she have a death wish?"

I grinned the minute my door was open and with all my might, I head butted the Eraser in the face. I heard his nose crack and teeth splinter and fly out. I ignored the pain of teeth sinking and sticking into my skin; I tackled the Eraser ad he pulled backwards shocked, when he fell I smashed his head into the hard floor. As he started to get up I snapped my wings out and pulled down empty cages from the air on top of him. I must've hit a weak spot because he went down like a sack of bricks. These Erasers weren't as tough as the Wing Beaters.

By the time the scientists and more Erasers had come in to check what ha happened, I'd already gotten back into my cage and sat watching them smugly. They cleaned up the mess whilst throwing me cautious looks. They murmured about the Arena and how mad I was meant to be.

A scientist walked up to my cage and kicked it. "you're here for a reason kid, the Arena wants us to break you." He snarled.

"Not before I break you." I said in a sweet voice as they left, this time leaving a few lights on so we could see better.

"Thanks." I turned my head to the blonde boys direction and looked into his thankful blue eyes.

"It's okay." I said quietly leaning my head into the bars.

Then I started laughing uncontrollably and wiping at my face and hair, smearing blood from tiny puncture wounds. "Hehe I've got dog slobber in my hair, I bet he doesn't even know how to brush his teeth."

"Why'd you do that?" The dark, quiet boy asked.

I looked him straight in the eyes and my humour vanished. "Because I'm not going to let them win. They can't stop me from fighting them."

He smirked a little then he went back to his quiet depressed look.

"You fought once didn't you? You got scratched but you still got a souvenir. Show her." The blonde boy tugged at the other guy till he fished in his pocket and pulled out something tiny and held his palm up for me to see.

In his hand was a long, slender, curved tooth. Bout the size of my pinkie. Just like the ones in the Erasers mouth before I knocked them out. It was a fang tooth.

"It's a fang," I murmured as I fingered the tooth.

"No it's a tooth from the Eraser." The blonde argued.

"No that tooth is called a fang. How'd you get it?" I asked curiously and catching a smirk on the dark boys face.

"The Eraser was hurting me so I pulled this out. I like pulling their teeth out, it makes them hurt and scream."

I saw a spark in his eyes that caused me to grin. He had life and fight in him. He hadn't given up yet even if he was quiet and brooding.

"I think you're dangerous and sharp. Just like a fang. Hey you haven't got a name so how about it. You can be Fang yeah?" I asked on impulse.

His eyes narrowed and he shrugged as he put the tooth away. "Sure whatever."

I grinned now being able to refer to him by name. "What about me? Can I have a name? What can be a name?"

I looked at the excited blonde boy and frowned. "A name is something that is you, but we pick something special that shows who you are. We'll have to think of one for you."

As the blonde boy started rambling on about cool names and what he could be called I curled up and fell into a light sleep. And for once I dreamt of nothing but blackness. Which was a nice change from blood, death, gore, screams and Chase and Sky. If I couldn't live with them, I didn't want to dream of them. Cause that would give me hope. And the scientists used hope to control and break you. I wouldn't let them break me. Not ever.

**A/N SO what ya think? Next is Iggy's name and you will be meeting another flock member. Any suggestions on how to get their names is more than welcome and I could use the help to be honest. I'm stuck on a few of the flock members.**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N Sorry its been a while, I'm just starting my next course in English and RE A2 Levels so I've had little time to myself. Some of you had really great ideas for Iggy's name but I don't reckon kids living in cages would be able to figure out about a mythical legend, so I stuck to what I do best. Nice, sweet and simple. Enjoy and review for me please.**

Chapter 18

I stared at the little wriggling creature on the floor. It had dark brown skin, it reminded me of the bark on the trees outside, where it was free. Bright eyes shone a startling brown at me from a round, sweet face. The baby was tiny, yet there still wasn't enough space for both of us in the cage. I didn't want to risk touching her, just in case I did something to damage or break her. She seemed so fragile yet o couldn't leave her to wriggle about on the cold hard metal floor, she would hit her head or something. So I was left with the wriggling child spread out on my lap, trying to be gentle and also restraining. I wasn't meant to do this stuff, this was what Sky and Chase always….. No I couldn't think of them anymore, the dead were dead in the past, best to leave them there.

"Why'd they put her in here?" I asked turning to Fang and the still nameless boy.

"Because there probably isn't anymore room in the other places, we'll have to take care of her, they give us the stuff, then they just wait until they of something to do with her. That's what normally happens." Fang answered in a dull voice. Well wasn't he dark and moody?

"They really are stupid here, at least where I was you were created and they had a purpose for you, they had everything mapped out and scheduled. But maybe its nicer to not have an experiment every day, to have peace some time, a break from all of the tests.""Where'd you come from?" Fang asked as he turned his dark eyes to me.

As I thought of where I came from exactly my memories flashed behind my eyes, then tears brimmed my eyes and I blinked rapidly to wipe them away.

"Another lab, I don't quite remember where but it was hell, not nice in anyway. Like I said they had everything planned, especially for me, I was a maximum component from all types of genetics thrown together, that's how I got my name, Maximum. They were disappointed though when I wasn't maximum enough, they wanted me to die."I curled up around the baby tighter, as she settled into a fitful sleep. She was only around two I guessed, she had started murmuring incoherent words and even trying to copy what we said. It made me feel warm inside.

Fang turned more fully to me and was about to say something when the boy with no name started giggling and reaching out of his cage.

"What is it?" I asked as I let the now wide awake baby crawl out of my arms to stare through the bars at the boys.

He reached out to the floor and seemed to pick up something and cradle it in his palm as he swivelled to show us. Whatever it was it was a green-blue colour and looked slimy.

It stuck to his fingers and slid and hung sloppily as he dangled it in our face, nearly pushing it into mine and the baby's noses.

"Eww gross keep it away from me, it made be poisonous."The baby squealed and crawled backwards into my lap. The nameless boy started swinging it making the goo stretch and make me think it was reaching for me.

"Nahh its not poisonous, its putty. One of the scientists brought his kid in here to show him the big computer, he dropped this on his way out. Isn't it cool?" He started playing with it in his hands, poking, squishing and trying to mould the solid liquid.

"Cool isn't the word I'd use more like…" I trailed off thinking of something to describe it."Icky!" I heard shouted by my side.

I nodded my head. "Yes, I agree, it is icky." Pausing to think I snapped my head back to the baby as she pointed at the boy with the putty.

"Icky, icky, icky, icky, icky, . IGGY!" The baby screamed in a seeming endless chant hiding from the putty.

She had just spoke the most she had ever said before.

"Wow good girl, you must be a smart girl to say all of that." I praised as I hugged her.

No name giggled again, still fascinated by his putty. "Hehe it sounded like she was saying Iggy. Is that even a word? Does it count? What is an Iggy?"

I stared at the runny goo that reminded me of saliva, and bogeys, and everything not nice at all.

"You're an Iggy, that's what it is." I said in insult, disgusted at a boys fascination with something that slid like water in your hand but was sticky.

"Really? Awesome. Hey Fang? I have a name, I'm IGGY! Icky with a gee! That's me." I started dangling the putty in my cage again, stretching his arms across the gap.

The baby started squealing again, chanting her little new word repeatedly in a high pitched voice. Maybe helping a kid talk who obviously seemed to like doing it a LOT wasn't such a good idea.

Disgusted at the goo, annoyed at my insult not being noticed and desperate for the screeching to stop I snatched the goo from Iggy's hand. Tolerating the horrible sensation for the moment it took me to lob it through the gap in my bars, all the way over by the door across from us. Out of reach of any weird boys who liked yucky gross things. Like Iggy.

"Awwwwww, now what am I going to do, I'm booooooooooooorrrreeedd!" Iggy whinged.

I glared silently at him as the baby quieted down a bit and started playing with my hair. Fang sat watching us with a little smirk on his lips.

Two hours later after putting up with Iggy cursing me to the moon an back, huh, I missed the moon, footsteps resounded down the hall as scientists or Erasers came.

The door opened to show a huge burly eraser, already in half form, apparently the leader of his little horde of buddies as he lead them in to the room. "Right, which one of you little ducks wants to help us with our chew toy game?" He sneered, the rest snickering. He took two more steps into the room when the heel of his boot landed on the putty. His foot shot out from underneath him and he went flying backwards to land on his tail bone. Or did he really have a tail?

Iggy burst out laughing along with the other Erasers, Fang started snickering and shaking slightly. The baby stayed asleep, apparently she had the ability to sleep through a lot of noise. I stared intently at the Eraser pulling himself up shouting at the others in the doorway. They quieted and burst out laughing when he turned his back to them to face us, they had just noticed t gunge had smeared all down the back of his white t-shirt and matted in his hair. They found it funny.

Giving up on the other Erasers he looked at our cages his predator eyes locking with mine in anger. I slowly grinned at him letting a fire come alive in my eyes. He snarled and approached my cage. Oh goody, I was the one who got to play. FYI there was no sarcasm there, I'm dead serious.

I chuckled under my breath as my locks where slammed open roughly. Maybe putty wasn't so bad, if it could tick off the Eraser's it out beat all of its yucki-ness. It was useful and I wanted more. I wonder if Iggy knew if kids cam in here often with it? He definitely suited his name now that I thought about it. Just like the icky putty he was gross at times, annoying but he annoyed the Erasers and made me smile. Even when it felt like it had been forever since I had last smiled with anyone. Iggy was definitely icky putty. In a good way.

**A/N Kay hope you enjoyed that and let me know what you think, I got this idea when my lil bro got putty stuck in his hair, he is now bald seeing as we went to extremes to get out haha. Sorry it took a while but I am catching up in my school work and focusing more at work, so should be working on my stories more often. Till next time review please they make me so much happier. Next will be Nudge and another flock member, I will make mistakes with the ages as I'm not entirely sure of their age gaps, but then again neither are they so hey! :D ByE xX**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N Kay here's the next chapter and I hope you enjoy thanks for all of the awesome reviews and special thanks to kiki1607, this chapters for you.**

Chapter 19

The cage was getting cramped. It had been a few years since the baby was put in my cage with me, and I was around six or seven now, I couldn't be certain as I forgot to buy a calendar at the Lab's gift shop. And whilst I was shopping I would buy a muzzle for the kid who shared my now severely cramped cage.

It was late at night and the lights had been shut off. The baby had grown to a toddler and was now adapt at speaking non-stop, I was thankful though that she was a heavy sleeper, that meant my peace and quiet lasted a little longer. Her skin was still a dark chocolaty colour and now she had short springy curls, darker than her skin, framing her face as she slept. Iggy, still chuffed at his name after so many years, was asleep. I was worried about him, the experiments where getting slightly worse, not as bad as the Arena's experiments but worse than I'd seen so far. The scientists had put chemicals in me, getting a variety of reactions from paralysis to high fevers and a rampaging heartbeat and shaking. It made my skin turn pale then a feverish red, the tattoo I was given looked like it had gotten infected and when the scientists scraped the scabs off, the ink seemed to just evaporate into my skin or something. Fang was being used in a few chases, he kept being thrown into cages and mazes with vicious creatures and had to fight to stay alive, to protect himself. That was an idea they must've gotten from the Arena. But Iggy I was worried about. The scientists seemed fascinated by his eyes, they kept putting eye drops and probing it, I wasn't sure what they were planning to eventually do, but I could bet it wasn't going to be good for Iggy. Perhaps they had found out he could see better from a distance and in the dark than us, where they going to try and change that? It must've been because we were older now, the baby only had minor tests. A few blood tests and some running simulations. She could run quite well actually for a toddler.

I leaned against the side of my cage as another shake rocked my body. I bit my lip to keep myself quiet, everyone was asleep and I didn't want to wake them up. My skin prickled and I felt heat rush through me, burning me like a flame. I broke out in a sweat and my breath became panted. I felt my mind straining, like someone was poking at sections of my brain with a scalpel. Just breath Max, breath and let it all pass. I told myself. I wouldn't think of who told me those words first, when I was little and so broken.

I clenched my fists and banged my head against the bar lightly trying to distract myself. The heat lessened but the pain in my head increased, causing me to hiss out in pain.

"You all right?" A quiet voice asked.

I turned my head slightly and I could just about make out the outline of Fang in the darkness, he nearly blended in with the night.

"I'm fine, it's just a side effect or something from whatever the hell they injected me with. Sorry if I woke you."

Fang and I had become something close to companions, friends in a way. In the middle of nights like this and I was in pain he always seemed to wake up and would talk to me until it faded away enough for me to sleep, or I did the same thing for him when he'd had a bad day and was covered in scratches and bruises. "How's Iggy feeling today?"

"He's okay I guess, they put more drops in his eyes and they went blood shot and streamed tears for hours, apart from them itching he says he's okay." Fang murmured as he leaned back stretching his legs out and avoiding Iggy's slumped form. I relaxed as we talked about little things, the stupid scientists and the Erasers, The baby's new hobby, talking, silly plans of stirring up some trouble for the white-coats.

Slowly I drifted into a half sleep, I felt Fang reach through the bars to slide my head down so I wasn't sleeping at an awkward angle.

I woke up to the feeling of someone jabbing me in the side. It was how I woke up most mornings now."Max? Max? Max? Max? Max. Max -"

"What?" I mumbled to shuch up the rambling toddler.

"Iggy says he has the coolest name ever, I want a cool name, what's my name? How do I get one? I want one. Give me a name. Better than Iggy's yeah? So much better than his name. Yeah? Yeah? Yeah? Max are you asleep again?" She started poking me again and I rolled on to my side facing the cage bars. "Pick your own name, we all do. I don't care what you call yourself just don't nudge me any more you little nudger." I growled rubbing my eyes so I could wake up. I probably only had a few hours sleep.

"Ha you're never getting a good name like mine, you cant even think of one right now." Iggy childishly poked his tongue out at her snickering.

"Yes I have! Max already said it, I'm….I'm uummm, I'm a nudger, I'm a nudge. My name is Nudge, and that's better thank Icky Iggy. Cause I'll nudge you if you keep picking on me." She pouted and glared at him. Thank God she didn't speak to the Erasers like that, they'd have turned he into a chew toy.

"You're a Nudge?" Iggy asked a bit confused.

"I am Nudge. It's my name, not a, I am." She turned and ignored him, acting all snooty as she rambled on about 'stupid Iggy' and what he thinks.

"At least we have something else to call you by instead of 'the baby' now." I murmured as I hunched in the cage moving around the small space I could.

My skin started tingling again and I hunched up trying to curl in on myself as it felt that pain was shooting through my skin and bone like a hot brand. Talk about ow.

"Max, what's wrong?" Nudge asked as she tried prying my hands from my head.

It hurt to just have her touch me, my skin was so sensitive even breathing seemed to strain my chest and make my lungs burn with pain.

"Nudge don't touch it her, it doesn't help. Just let Max get through it on her own and talk to her quietly, there's not much we can do to help?"

Nudge crouched by my head and whispered nonsense to me, just talking about anything and everything, which I was glad she had a skill for because it did help to distract me some. I wasn't sure how long it lasted but it ebbed away again so I could lower my arms and stare blankly out of the cage and at the wall. I heard a door open and footsteps, the lights flickered on blinding me for a moment, make the pain increase for a moment. I didn't want to move, because I felt if I did, the pain would shatter me into a million pieces. My mind was burning and I was trying to block it out, the pain, the sorrow, the remembered voice promising.

"Now lets give these experiments some breakfast. They can have whatever the hell this gunk is." One of the scientists laughed as he opened the cage doors to put bowls of grey porridge on the floor for us. He slammed the gates closed and hesitated when he saw me.

"What's wrong this one? She's not moving." His voice was more curious than anything, he didn't care at all. I'd probably be more worried if one of the DID care.

One of the other scientists grabbed a clipboard that was hanging on the wall by our cage and flipped through the notes. "It says here that if she shows any negative symptoms to take her to Lab C to get some blood samples and run a few scans. Haul her out and lets go, who knows what type of progress this experiment is making. Did you hear what she did down in the Black Burn Labs? She nearly ruined everything. Come on lets go." This scientist knew a bit about me and was obviously interested in the rumours. I flinched as a hand reached in and grabbed my hand. Again the pain increased, and my skull felt like it was fracturing as they pulled me out. My limbs stiffened and a high pitched whine came from my throat as I suppressed my urge to scream.

"Hey, don't take Max! Give her back!" I turned to see one of the scientists throw Nudge back and slam the door in her face. I tried to reach to her and say something but I couldn't, I was trying so hard not to scream. I closed my eyes and tried to wrap myself in a shell. To block out everything.

It was all black and I ignored the feeling of being touched, the pain, the stab of needles drawing blood, the cold metal of a table as the hum of a scanner passed over me. I focused on that silent part in me, where everything was dark and shadowed, but safe, where I could see dark blue navy eyes, and light grey ones smiling at me. A soft feminine voice humming a tune and a deep rumble that was a gentle chuckle. _Home…_

"Is she waking up yet? Somebody wake her up I need to know what to do with this. And you guys aren't helping me any!" Iggy….. He was complaining about something.

The floor was cold, I must've been back in my cage. I rolled over so I could push myself up. My wings stretched out and bumped something. "Sorry Nudge-" I murmured then stopped when I realised I shouldn't be able to move as much as I could. I looked around me to find my cage empty, only I was in it, and it seemed…bigger.

"|Finally! Max help me!" I turned to Iggy's distressed voice. Only to find him in a cage across from me, with a squirming baby in front of him.

"Huh.. What the..?" I frowned as I took in the changed scene around me, Fang was in a cage next to me, on his own and Nudge and Iggy was across from us, Nudge was on her own and Iggy had a new buddy which was the baby.

"They changed the cages around and separated us when you left, they even brought he baby and chucked it in Iggy.""Yes and I need you're help. The baby stinks and I don't know what to do!" Iggy practically begged. He had absolutely no idea how to deal with a baby. It would be fun watching him take care of it for a while.

"Just check his diaper, and try to keep him still, it's baby and they can get hurt very easily. Try t be as gentle s you can, as if the baby's made of china." I was actually quite nervous for the baby, I had helped Nudge and I could handle a baby, but I wasn't sure if Iggy could be gentle enough, he might just hurt the baby by accident.

We waited in silence as Iggy, very carefully thankfully, checked the baby's diaper. "Well it's a boy, and its clean. But he still stinks." He confirmed wrapping the baby back up in its clothes and the only blanket that was in the room.

"Wrap the blanket around him tightly and cradle him close to your chest, try to not let him squirm around too much." I instructed in a no arguing voice.

"Perhaps its you who smells and you've just noticed." Nudge poked her tongue out at him.

"Just as Iggy was about to retort we all heard the same noise. A small little toot that came from the baby in Iggy's arms. Iggy turned his head away and started coughing.

"Eeeew that stinks!" Nudge gasped as she pinched her nose crawling to the far end of her cage. It took a while for the smell to reach me and Fang and when it did, our faces scrunched up at the smell. The baby was giggling in childish gurgles. I was about to feel sorry for Iggy when he started laughing hysterically.

"Awesome, that was a ten out of ten. I bet no eraser is going to come near me. I've got a human gas bomb. Hahahahahaha." He continued laughing with the baby not seeming to care about the smell. Okay maybe I didn't need to feel sorry for him.

"That's one gas baby." I murmured to Fang even as he smirked a little.

"I doubt he'll appreciate being called the gas baby when he's older." Fang smirked at me as he turned his head. His face asked a silent question if I was okay, and nearly non-existent I nodded my head. I was fine now, hopefully it would last.

"Yeah he's not the gas baby. He's The Gasman!" Iggy laughed as he wafted the air towards Nudge snickering like a maniac. I was worried about the baby sanity if I left it with Iggy for too long now.

"Hey you cant give him a name, I got my name today. Give him his name tomorrow or something." Nudge whined.

"Well I've heard weirder things than The Gasman." I murmured to myself.

I heard Fang chuckle once and with a shock I realised he sounded like Chase when he laughed. A tear fell down my cheek. Damn, bad Max. Don't think about them ever again. Let the past stay in the past. You've got to move forward now.

**A/N Well? Good? Bad? What do you think? Let me know and it doesn't take a genius to guess who comes in to the story next does it? XD review please and I'll have the next chapter up in a week hopefully sooner tho. Adios mi amigos! X**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N sorry for the wait I've been busy at work and its taken me awhile to find some down time.**

I wasn't sure how old any of us were. I just we were older, the days and months were now blurred together, I couldn't keep track of them. Time had no meaning, we counted the days by the number of experiments. Nudge now had her own cage, she was still talking and had learned quite a few new words. Iggy and the Gasman were together in a cage. Gasman now dropped bigger nastier stink bombs, Iggy had an even eviler streak in him and caused more hell for the Erasers with his henchman/sidekick. The things they came up with was comical and diabolical. Fang had become a silent rock that loved getting into a fight with Eraser's he tried talking to me, like we used to but I was nervous. One of the scientists, called Jeb kept coming to see me, he asked questions about my past, I never answered him but he was fascinated by me and kept saying how I would evolve into more. The tattoo I had seemed to vanish with the experiments they had tried on me, they were all the same now, nothing registered yet I knew all that they did to me. I would probably never get out of here again, yet I wouldn't give up fighting, I had to protect these kids the best I could. I made a promise to them, and myself.

Yet what worried me now was that they had put in another baby in my cage. The scientist, Jeb, told me she was the Gasman's baby sister. They looked similar to when he was a baby an they both shared the same blonde hair blue eyes, and round baby face. She was probably the quietest baby I had met, she just stared at me and gurgled happily to herself. But I was worried, they had been cutting down our food and I wasn't sure we would have enough to keep this little darling alive.

A door opened and Jeb and a few scientists came in. I clutched the baby a little tighter in my grasp and glared at them all. Jeb glanced at me then crouched down by Gazzy's and Iggy's cage to undo the lock. "The eldest one is who we want, we will see if we can improve what's already developed naturally to something phenomenal." Jeb sighed and started ticking off a list as two male scientist pulled out Iggy and restrained him as they dragged him through the door. He thrashed and swore a few colourful words he had learn t from the Erasers.

"Let me go you men who get dressed by your mothers! Holy Lucifer's balls is that tape on your glasses? You are pathetic."

"Iggy language! Nudge and Gazzy are here still!" I scolded.

"Mothers….balls." Gazzy giggled clapping his hands.

Fang chuckled and Iggy burst out laughing hysterically as he vanished down the hallway. Nudge laughed herself silly, the baby watched us with curious eyes, Gazzy started clapping even louder and repeating those two words. I just rolled my eyes and sighed.

"How's the baby doing Max?" Jeb asked as he crouched down in front of my cage. He reached a hand in to stroke the baby's cheek but I pulled back further with my arms hiding the baby in my chest and with the blanket.

"Huh, you should trust me you know? If it wasn't for me one of the Eraser's would have chewed on you by now.""I've been chewed before and survived, I doubt I cant live through it again." I smirked at him.

He stared me for a long time before rising with a hard stare and stalking out of the room. Before the door closed my enhanced hearing picked up something said by one of the white coats. "Are we sure about this? The risk is slightly higher than normal-" the door closing cut off the rest of the words.

There wasn't much I could do, there were always risks with experiments, but I had a sick feeling weighing in the pit of my stomach. No I was being paranoid, we were all capable of dealing with the after-effects of experiments. Iggy would be fine. He always was.

For the next few hours we just all sat there. Me cradling the baby to sleep, Fang trying to get Gazzy to stop saying the new words he'd learnt and Nudge not helping by rambling on non stop.

I just sat there silently waiting and counting the seconds till Iggy was brought back, I kept counting till I got to 137,693,857,98 seconds. I could count for a long time, it was a trick, someone who must not be named, had taught me to keep calm in stressful situations. That was when the door clicked open and a silent Iggy was carried in and put in his cage. The first thing I noticed was that he had a huge bandaged wrapped around the top half of his head, covering his eyes and half his nose. The second thing I noticed was that he was snoring. Gazzy was falling asleep and curled up next to him anyway, using his shoulder as a cushion. Without a word the white coat walked out turning out the lights, I'm guessing it was night time then.

I stared for a long time at Iggy, a sick worried feeling twisting my stomach. Was he really okay? What had they done to him?

Nudge fell asleep soon, and even when she was out like a light, she still murmured to herself, never seeming able to stop talking. I tucked the baby in tightly and wrapped laid her down on my folded scraggly blanket, the nights had been getting colder so the scientists gave us ripped, thin blankets each. I used mine to act as a mattress for the baby to keep her even more warm, I didn't mind being cold, I had been colder anyway. Azra… had been so cold…..

The baby squirmed and reached her tiny hand out to grab my hand that I was pulling away from her. She gurgled and smiled with her huge blue eyes at me. I couldn't help but smile back at her and my sadness washed away with hope, hope for her and the others. I guess, I was happy, even if I was stuck in a cage. I mean, at least I wasn't back _there._ Slowly her eyes closed and her breathing deepened. I turned to look at the last family member I hadn't checked on yet.

I looked into two eyes that were darker than the night around us. Ah well, I guess he wasn't asleep yet. I nodded his head slightly to let me know he would take the watch this night, I had stayed up the night before. So I curled up around the baby lightly and drifted off in a fitful sleep.

I woke up later on to the sound of hushed conversation.

"Why is it so dark? Fang I cant see a thing!"

"That's because when the brought you in you had a bandage wrapped around your eyes. Take it off so you can see better, and be quiet the others are asleep."

There was the sound of fabric rustling and ripping, I slowly cracked open my eyelids and could make out Iggy blurred form in the darkness unwinding the bandage. When he was done and the wavering bandage fell to the floor Iggy sat there, still as a statue for a long time.

"Fang?" I heard his voice waver.

"Hm?"

"I…..I cant see anything…It's all….Everything's black." His voice shook with uncertainty.

"That's because they turned the lights out Ig, it dark in here."

"No, no that's not it. Even in the dark I can see shadows, but now I cant see nothing!"

Now I sat up and stared straight at Iggy. Fang turned to look at me and worry flashed in his eyes. What the heck have those lab rats done now?

"Iggy what was the last thing you remember before they put you asleep." I ask in a calm steady voice, that I hoped would reassure him.

"They, I remember them saying they wanted to improve something, my….. Think they said they were going to try and improve my eyesight, so that my eyes could reflect light and I could see better in the dark. Max…..I'm scared." Iggy's scared quiet voice had me tamping at mad as hell at the scientists. How dare they do this to him!

"Maybe you just cant see that well in the dark, when the lights are back on I bet you'll see normally, your eyes are probably just readjusting in the dark." I tried to convince myself at the same time.

We waited fove more minutes till the tiny device on the wall beeped, flashed green and automatically the lights switched on. Brightening up the room, I turned to look at Iggy, to see a smile on his face and relief flooding his expression. Only I still saw a worried, anxious, waiting face. And pale, pale blue eyes, nearly grey, nothing like the deep blue I knew to associate with him.

I looked at Fang and we shared a sombre expression, I took a deep breath and readied myself to tell Iggy, that the lights were on, and that the experiment had definitely left him blind.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N Hope you enjoyed this cause I worked a lil extra hard on this chapter for you guys. And its long cause I was on a roll.**

Chapter 21.

Things were changing. I had grown up and the sweet little baby now had a name. Angel. It suited her. Nudge said she was our guardian angel. But that was a pretty big mouthful. And Guardian sounded like a boys name, Angel was so much more suited to her. It sounded sweet and simple and that was exactly what she was. She showed Iggy things with her mind, sometimes making up for what he couldn't see. She had trouble speaking words, though for a one year old, I'm guessing, I seemed to have lacked a calendar in this place. This little Angel was a devil for reading minds, she sometimes reflected our thoughts to each other, I had to make sure I never thought of _them or that _place ever. Because if I did and she glimpsed it and showed it to someone by mistake, curious, so many questions would rise and things would change.

I remembered how she got her name, Nudge had been rambling on and a nice scientist told her about Guardian Angels and how they protect you, we never saw that scientist again. Angel started showing us some scientists and Eraser ill intentioned thoughts, so we knew who to fight harder and avoid. She warned us and gave us a chance to either be prepared or fight, she was watching over us. She was our Guardian Angel. Or just Angel for her sweet nature and if you don't want to say it all in one breath.

Clicking footsteps came down the hallway. The door opened and Jeb walked, he'd become a…somewhat ally. He helped us avoid the worst experiments and calmed the Erasers down when we riled them up so much that they nearly ripped our heads off. That didn't mean it stopped us. Annoying the Erasers was probably the highlight of this caged life. It turned out he also had a son, Ari, he was sweet kid but he was also normal. I didn't talk to him, what would you say to a kid who was perfectly normal, had a life ahead of him and watched what these sick people did never voicing a word against. Even as a baby when I saw something I knew was wrong I protested anyway I could, I tried to stop it anyway I could. Just like with Azra.

_The room was so cold, her skin was colder. Her breath frosted white, she couldn't get any paler, but her eyes still burned with life….It was the last thing to fade. She was beyond shivering, I rubbed her arms that did nothing, I breathed over her hoping it was a way to keep her even slightly warm. But she still drifted away from me…Further than I could ever reach unless I gave up. And my mind was so hurt, I kept pushing to get out, that monster in me to be unleashed. ….There was nothing…..there was no one….._

I snapped out of my little memory shaking myself vigorously, I glanced at Angel to make sure I hadn't scarred her. Only she was looking at Jeb as he walked to all of our cages and opened them. He was hurrying and Ari was no where in sight. That was odd, he was always near his father. And the fact that he was creeping around wasn't helping to ease my paranoia as well.

"Quick, come on, follow me and be quiet." I frowned as he pulled Angel out of the cage with me and slowly got to my feet to glance at the door, confused."I'm getting you out of here. all of you, now." Jeb said in a rushed whisper.

I glanced at Fang, he narrowed his eyes but nodded. We didn't trust Jeb entirely, but if there was still a chance to escape, we had to follow him. This may be my chance to show the flock of kids what freedom really was. To see outside.

_I'll show you the sun….the sky, oh, Max you'll love the sky, its so big and it never ends. You can fly forever…_

I was snapped back to reality when Nudge tripped and fell in front of me. I slowed in my running of the twisting white hallways to pull her up and drag her with me as I ran. We were all following Jeb. Fang was carrying Angel and Gazzy was leading Iggy by the hand. The lights were nearly all off, had a fuse been shut off? A few flickering bulbs lighted the metal door Jeb was leading us to. When had I started running? What happened? Had I gotten lost in my mind?

Whatever was happening no one noticed me being dazed and following them nearly as blindly as Iggy. That was until Jeb shouted at us to hurry as he struggled to get the lock on the open, he started pressing buttons frantically and cursing when the code wasn't accepted.

I heard snapping footsteps, they sounded, like claws, snapping against the floor in stalking footsteps.

I looked up and saw the paws of a deformed dog, that must've been on steroids to look as rip as it did. It had huge saber like teeth, they were bared in a grimacing snarl. Memories I hadn't fully blocked surfaced.

_The door was down, inches of bullet-proof glass blocked me off from Sky and Chase. I couldn't fight the Hound, I was weak, so defenceless, Chase had left with Sky already, I was so alone. The snarl felt like the signature on my death, the crazed instinctual eyes were locked on me, soon everything would be painted red, the Hound would tear into me, I would scream for death but it wouldn't come for a long time-_

No! I was older, I was stronger. They weren't here to save me this time, so I would just have to save myself and the new flock I had acquired.

"Oh my god what is that? If it's a poodle it's having a very bad hair day, but poodles don't have teeth as big as my arm. He looks hungry to, please somebody say they have a can of dog food on them, otherwise _we are dog chow." Nudge babbled on till a hysterical sob burst through her lips and she silenced to mumbles._

"_Why can I hear panting and snarling?" Poor Iggy, he was probably the most confused, at least we could see what was coming, this thing we couldn't even describe to him in words. Fang held a little tighter to Angel as she stared transfixed on the Hound._

"_It wants to kill us." She mumbled as the Hound took a step closer. I think Gazzy cried a little and Jeb swore._

"_I want don't get Angel." I took a step forward snapping my wing open from the ripped baggy shirt I was wearing and dusting of my frayed grey shorts. I looked back at all of their shocked faces and wondrous stares. "Hurry up and get that door open, I don't know how long I can hold off this Lassie." I put on the bravado that kept everyone stable. I didn't have time to grow up, someone had to take action, take care of the kids, grow up. Heck I didn't really need a childhood. I was Maximum Ride._

"_Stay behind me." I mumbled turning my head back to the Hound. I looked eyes with the Hound, yet also I was looking around the white and cold metal hallway, I needed something to help me, something I could use to tilt the odds a little in my favour. _

"_Max, get back-" Fang's voice got cut off as I took a step forward and the Hound dove forward, its howl echoing through the sterile hall._

_I spread my wings and soon enough everything was going in slow mo as my mind kicked into overtime and adrenaline pumped through my veins. A few flaps and I was flying, slightly hunched so I could zip down the hallway. With only a few feet, the Hound bounding with huge leaps and the sharp teeth getting closer, I reached up and grabbed end of one of the track lights. The fixture was heavy and it had slanted plates that were turned to narrow the lights into streamlines, at the moment those slats where facing downwards like a blade poised to strike. I could use this. With a push of my wings I surged forward with force. I refused to let the ache in my arms give out, I gripped on tightly, using al the strength I had in my malnourished muscles. Hoping, praying, it was enough._

_With a cracking the fixture in the ceiling gave way, just as the Hound jumped. I pushed with both my hands, throwing it in front of me and kicking out my feet so the rest of the light would rip off the ceiling and slam into the Hound. I heard a ghastly howl and the screech of metal, my wings gave out after a little while, it wasn't easy to fly in a cramped space for long, and I fell to the floor landing on top of the metal light fixture. _

_It clanged on impact and I rolled off, my feet squelching into blood. With wide eyes I looked at the destruction and death I had done. The slats in the light had sliced through the Hound, it was crushed and blood was slowly soaking the ground. I was shaking. I had done it again. Only this time with my bare hands and intentionally. I looked behind me to see the pale faces of the Flock._

_And suddenly everything was clear to me. Not the Flock, my Flock. I was their leader, I was strong enough to the things that needed to be done like this, I was the leader. And I would protect them even if it meant I had to blacken my soul and bloody my hands. I was Maximum Ride and I could do this for them._

_I walked away from the dead Hound up to my flock who had there mouths open. "Have you opened it yet? Cause there's going to be more of those things coming.""Umm, ugh yeah, I figured it out." Jeb tried to act casual as he pressed two more buttons and the tiny light flashed green._

_Fang handed me and we all filed out into what I was guessing was a steel walled garage with crates loaded on trolleys. It was full of armoured vans, normal cars and a few land rovers. Jeb pulled out some keys and pressed a button that made a big black jeep click. I hesitated for a second, in that second I heard shouting and howling somewhere behind us, I threw Angel into the backseat, ushered Iggy and Gazzy in next to her and Nudge, I strapped them in, not needing to be told how to strap the seatbelts. It was pretty easy and it didn't take a rocket scientist to see how one piece fitted the other. The shaking in my limbs had turned into tiny shivers that racked my body at odd times and stopped till they started again. Maybe this was called shock._

_A warm hand landed on my shoulder and I glanced at Fangs eyes. They were guarded like his expression always was. His eyes seemed to narrow, but not in a harsh way, a concerned and gentle way, asking if I was alright. I nodded. And I knew he knew I was lying. But that didn't matter now. We climbed in and crouched on the floor of the jeep, slamming the door closed. The windows were blackened and there was a thick piece of blackened glass dividing the front seat and backseats into two different sections. We couldn't see nothing, but we could hear the engine roar, the sounds of things crashing and breaking, the tires squealing, guns being fired, shouts and howls, alarms. After what seemed a long while the terrifying noises stopped, we could hear more engines but not the high speed roaring ones, these were quiet ones that seemed calmer than the mad rush we had heard._

_After a few hours all sound stopped apart from the humming of the tires turning on the asphalt. It took us ages and the flock fell asleep. I stretched out on the floor and leaned against Fangs chest, there wasn't much room for us to fuss about personal space. Angel was snoring lightly on my belly as I stroked her gold curls, Iggy and Gazzy were leaning back to back asleep and Nudge had her legs u in the air with her head dangling over the seat she was practically sitting upside down on. _

_I sighed. No one had asked any questions or said anything at all. I guess they were all in shock, they didn't know how to act in this type of situation. It was all so new to them, and unbelievable. We were actually getting out, and this time I would make sure we stayed out. A shiver attacked me again and my body jerked as I tried to stop it from waking Angel up. Fang's arms tightened around me._

"_Okay?" Shock, a one worded question._

"_I'm fine, just cold I guess."_

_I turned his head so he could stare at me till I admitted to the blatant lie. How could I be cold? The heating in the car was turned up so high we were drowsy and all snug. I raised my eyebrows at him asking what his problem was."You killed that…..thing. When did you learn to fly?"I shrugged. "I learned to in a experiment a while back, I haven't flown in ages though, so I'm rusty. Didn't you know what your wing are for or something?" I asked sarcastically._

"_I was going to help you, when you ran straight at that…..dog, I was going to stand by your side and fight, but then you flew. I had no idea how to help you then, I didn't even have a plan like you did, it was so quick and you still killed it."Silence stretched between us our breathing and the car the only sound we could hear. Then he turned so we could lie against the seat next to each other, so I was no longer leaning on him, we were looking at each other, directly looking in my eyes so he's know if I lied. "Do you feel any regret?"I knew what he was asking about, there was only one thing I might hold regret over, but not anymore. I didn't kill the Hound to save myself, I did it to save them. My flock. "No, and given the chance I'd do exactly the same thing again."_

_He nodded his head and pulled me into his side, my eyes felt heavy as I rested more into him and the heated air lulled me into a semi sleep. "If you really want to fight with me, you can be my second in command, my right wingman. That means you have to fight by my side to keep everyone safe. Do you want the job?"_

_He chuckled silently but I felt his chest shake with the laugh. "Sure, I'll be your right wingman."_

_I smiled sleepily, my fuzzled mind dragging one last glimpse of Chase and Sky, Chase was Sky's right wingman, they were a team and always worked together. I winced at the memory, yet also cheered that in a way I was following in Sky and Chase's footsteps._

_Fang squeezed my shoulder when I winced. "I'll take first watch, you can rest. I'll wake you up when Jeb stops the car and we get to wherever we're going. Do you know where we're going?"I curled into his side, my hands still resting in Angels sunlight yellow hair. Answering his question without thinking about, already hearing sleeps beckoning promise as exhaustion stomped through me. "Home, we're going home. Where the sky is so big it stretches forever and never ends. Where we can fly in freedom and decide for ourselves. Where going to where we can see the sunset, it's so beautiful, the horizon stretches as far as you can see, not ending no matter how close you get. We're going home." My voice mumbled most of it, but I was certain he heard me._

"_Good, I wish I could dream of things like that. I wonder if freedom and home is what you say it is. Soon we'll see."Idiot. I didn't think it was like I described, it was. I knew it was, I'd seen it. And soon so would he. And the Flock. Then they would know as well. They would know freedom and I would help them keep it. That was a promise I wouldn't break, not even through death. I would fight and live, for them._


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N again sorry I haven't worked on this and I'm not going to keep repeating my reasons but I do hope you like this chapter unfortunately the next one will be the last.**

Chapter 22

I sat there with my legs crossed on the decking that skirted t entire outside of the house. The kids had started calling it the E shaped house, seeing as whenever we went flying the kids said it looked like E for escape. Or any other word they knew that started with an e. They were coming more out of themselves, they were acting more like kids each day, even Iggy, it had only been a few days, two years nearly, I think Jeb had said. But I knew that the School was only a thought away, we were still looking over our shoulders.

Every morning I cherished the taste of freedom. I got up earlier each day just so I could watch the light blue sky, turn pink and gradually brighter and brighter as the sun rose up to start the new day. It brought joy and hope to my heart to see it get so light, even if it took a while, after all of the darkness had seemed to swallow up the world.

Jeb was teaching us how to live, the other necessities we needed to know about life, apart from what we already knew how to fight to death apparently not everyone needed.

I wasn't very good at it. I'd tried making what was called an angel delight, it turned out more like the devils sludge. Iggy on the other hand excelled in the ancient art of cooking. Everyone else could just about get by in these lessons Jeb was teaching us, if this was a classroom I'd be sat in t corner with a dunce cap. I was honestly that bad. It was quite funny.

The first tips of yellow spiked up in the horizon painting the pink and reds lighter into orange. I smiled as I felt the heat of the dawn wash over me and the morning breeze brushed over my face with gentle flames. I sighed and closed my eyes, leaning my head back and resting on my arms as I stretched out under the suns gaze, the heat and light prickling my feathers like a flower reaching for the light.

All of a sudden a shadow fell on me and I snapped my eyes open in annoyance huffing out my breath.

"Why are you always out here every morning?"I rolled my eyes as my usually silent and dark companion sat beside me. "Because I need a break from my right wingman at times and I like savouring the taste of freedom, you never know, one day it might just be snatched away from you."

"And Iggy calls me the emo." Fang mumbled under his breath. I smirked and continued to gaze at the sky and breaking dawn with avid fascination.

"Why does this always get your attention though, even Angel says when she peeks at your mind in the morning, your just consumed with thoughts of the sky and freedom. Why Max?"

I frowned okay so Angel was a highly intellectual two and a half year old. None of us we sure of our ages so we had all taken a guess, and picked a date to mark it by. Me, Fang and Iggy were 12, Nudge was 9, Gazzy was 5, and Angel was two an a half, or was it three. I'd have to check later on. None of acted our ages though, we either acted too mature or at times too immature. We could never get the balance right, it was funny.

"I just enjoy it Fang. If I ever get taken back, though I'll fight tooth and nail not to, I want to remember this with as much detail as I can. If you were taken back wouldn't you want to remember everything about every beautiful little thing you saw?"He gave me that silent side glance with his eyes, a slight shift of his shoulders I took as my yes.

We sat there for the next hour or so watching the sun rise higher and higher in companionable silence. That was till we heard Iggy shuffling around in the kitchen.

At the same time we stood up and walked through the glass doors and into the kitchen. "We should really give him a hand with breakfast." I said helpfully, then paused when I saw both Fang and Iggy pause to look at me uneasily. "Fine I'll go wake everyone up instead then." I mumbled walking back out of the kitchen.

I padded up the stairs to Gazzy's bedroom he was bunking with Iggy until we could finish decorating his room, I didn't really think it was safe letting him sleep in a room that stank full of paint fumes and Jeb was worried he'd use the fumes a bomb for something, I didn't know if it was possible but I'm certain he'd find a way. Nudging open the door I could see Gazzy's feet sticking out seeing as he had Iggy duvet wrapped around his head and upper body as he lightly snored. No wonder Iggy was up so early.

I poked Gazzy telling him to wake up. He snuggled deeper into the blankets mumbling about Erasers and tutus and clown cars. I raised an eyebrow.

"Okay then, you think you can ignore the great Maximum Ride? I will show you no mercy." I grabbed his feet at the bottom of the bed, sat in his back and continued to tickle his toes without mercy. He came awake kicking and screaming, squealing and crying in delight. I laughed with him ending up tickling him all over. We both collapsed on the bed giggling and I brought him into a hug.

"That….hahaha…wasn't funny *giggle* Max." Gazzy gasped out as he pulled himself out of my arms and stood up.

"It definitely was and it got you up. So go get dressed, washed and go down for breakfast." I patted his head as I passed, he was tense thinking I was going to attack him again. That was my little trooper always ready and on edge.. Around me.

Next was the room where Angel and Nudge slept. When I walked into the room Angel wasn't in her curtained off section that marked her paradise, it was basically full of silk cushions, teddy bears and resembled a tiny girls version of a nest. She was curled up next to Nudge with her thumb in her mouth. Nudge was sleeping heavily with her mouth wide open, one arm over her eyes, the other holding Angel and a book splayed open on her chest. Neither of them twitched as I walked over to them and picked the book up. I glanced at the cover and smiled, flipping through the colourful pages of pictures and little writing. _Sleeping Beauty._

I looked down at my sleeping beauty's and started to nudge them awake, shaking them gently. Nudge refused to move until I whispered the magic words in her ear. "Iggy's making pancakes." Within a flash she was up and gone slamming the door behind her as she ran down the hall and pretty much flew down the stairs. I didn't even have a chance to tell her to get dressed. Angel curled up into a tighter ball on the bed and flapped around for her missing blanket, in the end I scooped her up into my arms and she curled up resting on my shoulder as she yawned and slowly woke up. I started walking down the stairs with her, till she started waking up more and flapping her wings to stretch all of her limbs. Walking down stairs with flapping feathers in your face is heard enough with out a giggling Angel squirming in your arms. "MAX!" Angel screamed as I put her down on the floor so she could run to her chair on the end table in the kitchen. As she was about to bump into the table leg Jeb plucked he up so he could seat her on the chair as Iggy and Fang started dishing out the goods.

Halfway through breakfast and the usual banter being thrown at each other, as well as Jeb warning us not to go too far, Angel asked me the ever bugging question.

"Max can you teach us how to fly again today?" She looked at me with a sweet wide eyed expression. Glancing around the table I saw Gazzy and Nudge doing the same thing. Lord remind me to never let them watch Bambi ever again. Damn you Walt Disney, it was as effective as giving a kid a key to the world. That expression got them anything. I sighed nodding my head.

Since we had got out of the School, I had refused to teach any of them how to fly. They were basically all flesh and bones, hardly any muscle, definitely malnourished, barely enough energy to stay awake an entire day, and they wanted me to teach them to fly? Which was why I was teaching them slowly, they had more flesh and muscle, more food and energy now. So their wings could beat them high and I wouldn't have to worry about them all dropping out of the sky. I had taught Iggy and Fang because they were older, but flying you really had to learn on your own, without guidance though it was harder. I had learned from observing, I had watched…..someone very intently for years so I would know how to fly. I had taught myself from observations.

Ignoring the squeals I left t plates and children all fro Jeb to clean up as I walked outside again. The sun was now lighting everything up as day and the flowers and leaves on trees shone brighter than anything. It was time I stretched my wings.

I spread my wings out and jumped off the edge of the E house, the best part of this place was that the back of the house was nothing but a sheer drop from a cliff face. So I could enjoy the freefalling and rush as my wings slowly opened with the tug of the wind and I eased myself into an arc so I could shoot back into the sky. The rush of the wind lifted my heart and I felt as though I was soaring straight into the sun, its increasing heat warming my eyelids as I got closer. Until a black wing thumped me in the back knocking me sideways.

"You're it." Fang said with a grin.

And that was how we started training the kids, encouraging them to play tag with us, Nudge was good though she had problems turning in the air, it would take a while till she mastered the skill in turning direction. Iggy and Fang could fly normally they just needed to work on their reaction time, Gazzy had trouble stopping and landing, and Angel was struggling to stay in the sky for a long amount of time. We were all at different stages in flying, like babies still learning to walk and run.

It took about ten minutes till everyone was flying steadily in thye sky and chasing each other, I was twirling in the air, going higher and higher, stretching my arms out as though I could reach the sun.

_It's so beautiful Max, it never ends…_ That soft voice whispered through my mind, I folded my wings in and arrowed towards the earth, letting the howling wind rip away the sweet gentle voice from me. Silently I twisted in the air and coasted down to the decking in front of the kitchen. I landed and padded over to the door frame shaking my head and gazing out at my new Flock. A grin tugged at my lips.

"You're not flying?" Jeb asked as he sat at the table with a coffee and a newspaper in his hands.

"No I think I'll let them coach each other."

I plonked down across from him and started eating the biscuits he had laid out on the table. The thing about being a mutant bird kid was that you always seemed to be hungry, so when you ate and ate and ate and ate some more, you didn't even gain a few pounds. Oh the joys of a high metabolism!

"You cant always leave them to care for themselves Max, you cant rely on someone else to do your job."

"I don't rely on everyone to do my job, but I don't really have a job to do, I'm just a kid. Besides you're the adult you take care of everything for us." I smiled in gratitude and Jeb. Once upon a time I thought of him as an evil sadistic scientist, but know he was more like our father, he taught us the basics like cooking and reading, helped care for Angel and the others. Yet in the past week he had been doing less, leaving most of the chores to me, like getting the kids up this morning and making sure they ate and were dressed. Perhaps he was just tired, he hadn't taken a break for himself after all the years he had been caring for us. Yet I also had a sick feeling in my stomach, maybe I was paranoid but I knew to trust my instincts and they were telling me to prepare for a change. It was probably a good thing that I never could get rid of the habit of checking over my shoulder.

At the time though I ignored everything, Jeb's sad eyes, my fluttering belly, the sense of impending doom, all of it. A good distraction was when Nudge came flying through the open screen doors, squealing with Gazzy right behind her, both of them forgetting how to stop as the aimed at me when I jumped up to stop them crashing into a wall.

"STOP FLAPPING!"

They either didn't hear or didn't bother to listen to my instructions as they flew into me and we flew across the room and into the sofa toppling over every piece of furniture as arms, legs and wings got entangled in a mess of limbs. I didn't have time to focus on my bad foreboding again as I put down the rules of no flying in the house and taught everyone else how to fly and stop properly.

**A/N Kay hope you liked this this was just a insight to show you how Max and the Flock progress to living as normal a life as bird kids can. The last chapter will be up in a week or a bit so I will do my best to make it the longest I can so we can have a proper good bye to this story. Thank you all so much for sticking with this through thick and thin. Cookies all around!**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N Okay I know it ahs been since I have really worked on any of my stories, but all I can say is that I'm sorry. My life has been flipped upside down and taken for a waltz, but I am trying to get back to normal. So at long last here is the last chapter to A Nightmare Lived.**

Chapter 22

I narrowed my eyes at the horizon, the faintest tinge of light was creeping into the night sky. That meant I needed to head back. Damn, there just wasn't enough hours in a day. I had been flying for five hours roughly, I needed to be back at the house before the Flock woke up and realised I was taking late night patrols. I pushed up off the pine I was currently resting on and flapped my wing hard. I could get back in two hours if I flew at a steady pace and didn't stop.

I let the cool air wash my face and wake me up. I had been doing this for weeks, months really. It had been over a year now since Jeb had gone missing. Everyone had come to terms that he was more than likely dead, he had gone our for groceries and hadn't come back, we had looked and found nothing, he had truly vanished. I had comforted everyone, wiped away the tears, picked up the role of being the adult, allowing the others to be kids, I didn't want Fang and Iggy to have the responsibility, Iggy was a bit of a joker, and Fang was a bit of tough love, besides they didn't really know how to care for kids. I had watched people love and care, at least I had the guidelines to run by.

But whilst I was caring for everyone, I had no time to grieve myself, I hadn't cried not until four months later. Then I had started thinking, maybe he wasn't dead, maybe they had taken him back. I had looked at maps of the towns and cities near us, picked ones that had quite a few big businesses and had flown around at nights….hoping to see something. I don't know what I was looking for, I just knew I couldn't give up yet. Even that though needed to come to an end. Jeb was lost to us now.

The wind dried the tears that trickled down my cheeks, barely giving them a chance to run past my cheekbones. It just wasn't fair.

I had lost so many close to me. And now Jeb. What ever made this world wasn't watching out for us, I felt so raw and hot, as though my chest had been burnt and ached. I had to swallow the lump past my throat. I needed to get over it. Crying and mourning never solved nothing. If you focused too much on the past you'd end up dead. And if you were the one protecting others and you ended up dead, then you didn't just fail yourself, you failed them as well. If you died, who would protect them?

I set my face into a blank mask, I could get over this. I spent a single moment cherishing the image of Jeb in my head, then I tucked him away in the sealed compartment in my mind. Right next to my memories of Sky and Chase, including the few people I had known in the caves, Azra, Jethro. All of them, they were gone, so I wouldn't keep them around anymore by thinking about them. The dead would be stay dead.

The light grew brighter and the sky was a light blue by the time I landed quietly on the deck. The clouds where painted pink with the sunrise, I tilted my head slightly in silent wonder at the endless cycle of sunrise and sunset. I didn't know what the future held, but I knew the sun would continue to rise and set. That was all the hope I needed.

I padded into the kitchen and poured some cold water into a cup. Gulping the water down to help cool me down from my long flight. My tank top clung to me with sweat, tendrils of hair snaked out around my face and my joggers felt too heavy on my skin. I needed to get changed into baggy clothes before the others saw me, they would surely notice that I had lost some weight. A few hours of sleep and long hauls of flights would do that to a girl. I didn't really want to explain my need to search for Jeb so long when it was obvious what had happened either. It was for the same reason I couldn't talk about my past, something couldn't be explained and I felt like I'd be stabbing my own heart if I did.

I put the cup in the sink and ran some water in my hands so that I could splash it onto my face. It was a slight reprieve from the exercise I had done. I was staring blankly into the stream of running water when I saw a shimmering dark shape move in the waters disoriented reflective surface. Quickly I spun around and threw my fist out. A strong hand clamped on my wrist and tugged me into a bear hug. I glared into deep eyes.

"Next time how about you make a noise, you do breath don't you?" I snapped.

Fang smirked as he let me go. "I do, its just you aren't very perceptive." He was joking but I could see his eyes assessing me. I pretended I didn't notice.

"What are you doing up so early?"

I thought about lying, then decided a half truth was best. "I went flying, exercising really. So if you don't mind I'm going to take a shower." Feeling quite vulnerable I spun around and stormed into the shower. Letting the hot water wash over my muscles and wash away the sweat and tears I had cried. The second I stepped out of the shower I would be a new Max. Stronger and braver, more capable. But for now, I just wanted to have a moment, to cry and be a child in my own company. Then I would go back to being strong for my flock. I just needed one moment for myself.

Fang POV

I just watched. I was good like that. It must've been put into my DNA to be silent and watch others. Iggy and I had noticed Max had been flying off lately, we were worried. Not because we thought she was going to betray us, no we knew how much she hated the labs and everything that came with it, I could hear her scream sometimes when she had nightmares, begging for the sky, wanting freedom I guess. No we were worried because she was so exhausted.

Seeing her this morning just confirmed it even more, over the last few years we had gained more weight, were more normal for birdkids, I guess. But I could see Max's bones poking out slightly, stretching the skin, her top had clung to her, baring each individual rib. It had taken us a while to realise what was wrong with her, she knew if we realised she was losing weight we'd worry, so she worry baggy jumper and a clothing to hide it. We only clocked on when Iggy bumped into her and felt the definition of her bones through her clothing.

She was eating, lord oh mighty was she eating, she nearly cleaned off the breakfast table by herself. I was lucky to still have all of my fingers left. And now she was playing with Nudge and Angel, trying to win Cluedo with a mind reader was quite hard. Iggy and Gazzy where stretched out on the sofa with wires sticking out of their pockets. I wasn't even going to think about what they were making this time.

It had been a long time since Jeb had gone missing. I had feeling that was the reason for the change in Max. But as she told Angel off for reading minds whilst playing games, again, I could see she was happy. She flicked her unusual blonde and brown striped hair over her shoulder and laughed with them. She looked as though a weight had been lifted off her were all different, more grown up, but still the same in a way. Max, Iggy and I were thirteen, Nudge was ten even if she was already acting like a teenager, Gazzy was six and damn proud of it. Angel was three and a half and just as sweet as the first day we had met her. She grinned at me.

I got up and followed Max into the kitchen as she went to get Angel and Nudge a drink. Whilst she was reaching in the fridge for the orange squash I laud my elbows on the counter so I could lean on them.

She turned to the cupboards without even glancing at me.

"You know what, you need to take lessons from a bear on how to lumber." She commented filling up the cups.

I quirked an eyebrow. "At least you didn't attack me this time."

"I nearly did." She moved her hand and the knife she had held against her wrist and out of sight clattered to the counter. Sometimes Max shocked me, she had moments when she seemed so battle ready it was scary. As if she expected something to happen anytime anywhere. She had gotten her skills from somewhere, how she sometimes, rarely, caught me silently walking behind her by the slightest shadow on anything reflective. Or it was just engraved in her DNA. We all knew each other since we were kids, in cages, there wasn't nothing we didn't know. We had all shared a spot in hell and it had bound us for life.

"Are you okay Max?" I watched her carefully, so intently that I took in every detail about her. The tiniest tug of her frown, the crinkle of her eyes as she thought then the warmth and _life _in her eyes and smile as she answered."I'm fine Fang. Everything's fine and it's going to stay that way. That I'll make sure of."

As she turned to head back into the room, I let out a sigh of relief. She was telling the truth. She was okay, whatever was wrong it had passed. She was back to being Max.

Max POV

I watched leaning against the door as Angel and Nudge slept fitfully. A small smile tugging at my lips. The day was like a whole new day, I felt new. I turned and quietly clicked teh door shut, giving Gazzy and Iggy a kiss good night on the cheek as I passed them in the hallway. Instead of going to my room I changed my mind. I turned and headed down the hallway and downstairs. Grabbing a blanket and a few cushions off the sofa I piled them onto the deck and curled up on them. Laying on my back as I watched the stars above twinkle down at me.

The cushions and and blanket sank underneath me as Fang sat down next to me. After a second he laid down next to me, placing his arms behind his head so he coul lay on them. We just sat there, quietly, staring at the never ending night sky. I grinned to myself. They could put us in a cage anytime, but teh second I got the chance to I would fly, into teh sky and be free. The sky never ended.

"So are you going to tell me what's on your mind?" I turned my head to look at Fang.

He chuckled. "SHouldn't I be the one asking that?"

I sghed. "Do you always have to answer a question with another question?"

"Why are you always so angry when I do?"

My laugh trickled out of me at his honsetly confused face. "It's okay if you dont want to tell me."

A frown tgged at his deep dark eyebrows and his equally black wing shifted under him slightly. "I was worried. Me and Iggy were taht is. About you."

I stared at the sky and blinked. "Ah."

He waited, he was always good at doing that. When we played hide and seek he always won. Instead of looking for us he would just sit in one spot and wait for us to get bored and to move out of our hiding spots. An unsual tactic but a useful one.

"Well anything else to add on to that 'ah'?"

I shrugged and stretched my wings a bit, likeing the feel of them rubbing into the cushions. "I was just having a moment."

We both grinned at eachother. He shook his head and i felt like his eyes were another pair of stars in the black night sky.

"So when's your next scheduled moment?" He asked.

"In a few hundred years or so. But you never know, teh appointment might get pushed forward. I swear if Iggy or Gazzy blow one more single thing up I will have their heads on a plate."

Fang thought about something. "That reminds me, I have something to tell you."

I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

As he opened his mouth, an explosion resounded in the house, blowing out the window a few feet over and above us. "That." Fang finished.

I shot to my feet.

"Hey Ig that was awesome, it actually rip the frame of the window out. Max is going to have a cow but it was totally worth it."

"Hey Gazzy why can I hear flapping?" Iggy asked as he cupped a hand over his ear.

Gazzy turned to the hole that had once been a window and sawked at me as i hovered there, flapping my wings with strong beats, my arms folded over my chest and a death glare plastered to my voice.

"Oops." Gazzy squeaked.

"Oh you two, are in so much trouble." I said in a dark voice that made Iggy blanch a little bit.

**A/N I'm sorry, this is all I could come up with for an ending to this. To me its sweet and simple, and give hints to what will happen in the future ;) But it's been so long since I have written for this that I've sort of lost the flow. So the best thing to do is to finish this off now and start a new flow for a sequel to A Haunted Past. Coming soon is… LIVING IN DREAMS!**


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